Skies Above Us
by Miki-chan13
Summary: Asalie (REPRESSED NERD) wants nothing to do with the outside world, Lillie (MYSTERY GIRL) is not what she seems, Hau (ULTIMATE WINGMAN) has high hopes for his up-coming journey and Gladion (VOICE OF REASON) wonders what madness he's stumbled into. These four only wish their lives would stay this simple and peaceful...
1. Chapter 1

Kahuna Nanu read the report he wrote one more time- it was going on midnight. He sighed as he closed it and rubbed at his temple, feeling his head start to tingle with the beginnings of what would become a full headache. He chugged his coffee down in one go before heading to the control room.

Looker was looking over the cameras alongside the ever diligent security guard, eyes locked on one room in particular. Inside was a young woman with clipped lavender hair and eyes the same color was huddled in the corner. She had a look that both officers had seen too many times in his fellow officers, and when he looked at himself in the mirror.

His junior officer looked torn between confusion, anger and grief, fists trembling from where they were clutching at the guard's chair before Nanu placed a hand on his shoulder. The brunet stiffened before slowly drawing himself up to his full height.

"I know our mission must continue- Seeker would not rest if I gave into my grief and rage here," Looker croaked, voice hoarse.

Nanu's expression didn't change but his eyes flickered- they might have completed their mission and sent that thing to hell, but at the cost of a great officer. He had lost people over the years and while the pain never left, it had numbed tolerably. But this had been one of his proteges he had trained alongside the brunet by him this very moment- he had even allowed himself hope at the future she would carve for herself.

The memory of her disappearing into that- _thing's-_ mouth flickered before his eyes before he stowed it into the recesses of his mind. There would be a time for grieving later, but not here and now.

He nodded to the security guard and she gave a short nod back before heading down while Nanu took a seat in the interrogation room with some coffee and sandwiches. The woman was brought inside, staring warily at Nanu before her stomachs growled. The gray-haired man gestured to the food silently and watched as she began to eat and drink. After ten minutes, she leaned back with a sigh, a little more color to her face before sitting up properly.

"My name is Officer Nanu of the Internation Police- I just want to ask a few questions," he told her. "First of all, can you tell me your name?"

She gave a small nod to this, her voice a croaking whisper, "Anabel, Maiden of the Battle Salon in the Hoenn Battle Frontier."

Nanu blinked at this- there was no Battle Frontier in Hoenn, though there was a Battle Resort that was based on Kalos' Battle Maison. "All right then," he said with a nod. "Let's start at the very beginning, shall we?"

Anabel nodded again, a ghost of a smile on her face as she murmured, "A very good place to start," before her expression became solemn again.

* * *

 _Mossgreen City was aptly named, though there's little reason to state why._

 _Nestled deep in the forests between Cinnabar's island community and Fuschia City's Safari Zone, there was little shortage of Pokemon- a common sight would be children playing in the trees alongside the bird and bug-type Pokemon while few adults looked on. The only remarkable thing within the village would the medicine shop run by an old woman and her daughter._

 _But it would soon be known throughout the world for entirely different reasons._

* * *

 _It was the smoke in the distance that alerted Koga to the destruction and although he and his gym trainers came with all haste, Mossgreen was in flames. They did their best to control the damage but many people and Pokemon still died that night with only one survivor._

 _The daughter was run to the nearest hospital center and once healed, was relentlessly questioned about the cause of Mossgreen's destruction. But Cassandra- the woman- swore up and down that the culprit was a creature bigger than a house that looked akin to a bell that could shoot fire from it's sides._

 _There were no records of any existing Pokemon that could fit such a description, save Bronzong- but it couldn't grow to be bigger than a house and it certainty couldn't breathe fire._

 _Regardless, the League hunted for this creature relentlessly- and when it seemed, they wouldn't find it, the creature appeared once more on Cinnabar island._

 _The creature- or monster, more accurately- was over thirty feet tall with a vaguely human face, with two rocket-like pillars on either side of it's body, a drill atop it's head and a dress-like bottom with six stubby legs beneath. It breathed fire from it's arms like a flamethrower, expression never changing from the pursed, thin lips visible on it's face._

 _Cinnabar had already faced the destruction of it's town before because of the volcano, but this monster's attack was the straw that broke the Numel's back. It's gym leader Blaine, gave up on ever restoring it to it's glory and retreated into his research. The gym fell into disrepair and ultimately was removed from the League._

 _Trainers were called in from every corner in Kanto to unite and take down the monster however possible. Leader of the Elite Four and champion in title Lance spear-headed the assaults on the monster. After leaving behind a trail of destruction that brought city after town into ruin, they were able to corner the monster in the ruins of Celadon City, the combined efforts of over a hundred trainers with Pokemon teams of four-to-six were finally able to obliterate the monster, leaving only the smoldering wreck of it's steel body behind._

 _In the wake of the incident, the International Police were called in to investigate the monster's remains. They code-named the creature "Blaster" in reference to the arms it used to blast out fire. For this was no Pokemon but an unidentifiable creature who only barely resembled that of a steel and flying type._

 _With the destruction of UB-Blaster and the repairs for the region underway, the people of Kanto and the rest of the world were more than happy to put this nightmare behind them._

* * *

 _But barely a year later in the Johto region, Blackthorn City's houses and residents had been slashed and hacked into pieces- the cuts so clean, it was almost unreal._

 _One of the only survivors, a man who helped Pokemon forget certain moves, claimed that the gym leader Clair was training when she ordered one of her dragons to attack something. The next moment, herself and her dragons had been reduced to diced hunks of flesh. Then, something slashed apart everything in it's path._

 _From the man's explanations, it had been concluded that the creature had either been invisible or moving too fast for the naked eye to witness. So tracking down the creature was so much harder than the thirty-foot monstrosity from a year before, especially since they had no idea what it looked like._

 _It would take a dying Chuck- who had been carried to the Safari Zone after he had tried to engage it and lost 3/4s of his limbs- that the creature wasn't taller than twelve inches and resembled an origami soldier._

 _Search Pokemon were sent out and trainers who confronted "Blaster" swarmed in to help find the creature- the International Police stepped forward again, code-naming the creature "Blade". They hunted the region for Blade, following it's track of destruction like they did Blaster. But from the reports of survivors, it seemed that Blade only attacked if it had been threatened before hand._

 _They finally cornered Blade when it was resting beside the Lake of Rage. But then one of the younger trainers went against orders and attacked Blade- she and her team were reduced to chunks of flesh and Blade retaliated furiously against the trainers._

 _But it had allowed the remaining living gym leaders- Falkner, Bugsy and Whitney- to coordinate an attack so that Blade would be unable to escape with a combination of Pidgeot's tailwind and protect, Scizor's pursuit and iron defense and Milktank's block and heal bell to keep Blade trapped._

 _The body count was greater than the final battle with Blaster, turning the water as red as the Gyrados who once inhabited them, but was over much quicker, Blade's body reduced to a twitched smear on the ground. The International Police took the body back and found it shared similar elements with Blaster through it resembling steel, but also resembled grass._

 _Once again, they mourned the lost and celebrated their triumph- and hoped beyond hope this would be the last of the monsters._

* * *

 _Off the coast of Slateport City, Stern had been expected new goods from Lillycove. But when the shipment began to grow days old, he asked some of his collegues to go out and see if they could fly to Lillycove._

 _They returned with news that the entire port had been destroyed and the remains had been litered with what appeared to be teeth marks. As though the one responsible had taken literal bites out of the city. There were no survivors._

 _The International Police were ready this time around and formed a group of trainers called Hunters- they were specially trained to track and battle against the monsters from before. Many Hunters were survivors, family members or survivors and/or veterans of the last two hunts for the monsters. They scoured the region and found the monster was literally eating Foretree City, devouring even the ground and trees along with it's residents._

 _However, the Hunters were comprised of mainly fire type Pokemon, which had little to no effect on the monster- anything, it made it more enraged and ended up literally eating some of the hunters and their Pokemon before it rampaged on, as though they had been little more than pebbles in it's path._

 _After their failure to stop the monster when they cornered it like the last time, made many people lose faith in the Police and Hunters. But it was clear that the monsters were of different sorts and types, like other Pokemon. After regrouping and changing teams and moves, the Hunters went out to stop the monster- code named "Gluttony"- once more._

 _Gluttony was easily found, leaving behind a literal trail of leftovers in the form of ruined routes and towns- the monster was happy to guzzle down anything in it's path. "Cornered" was a strong word for tracking down and keeping Gluttony occupied long enough for the elite four and former champions Steven and Wallace to hammer down attack after attack._

 _The devastation left Route 119 a barren wasteland. Further investigation of Gluttony's remains held similar typing to that of a Hydreigon, which explained it's resistance to flames. By now, the world was thrown into fear by these creatures and the leaders of the land did their best to assure them that they would take care of the monsters, thanks to the Hunters._

* * *

 _When another monster was sighted within Sinnoh, the International Police's hub, the Hunters there were confidant that they could stop the threat before it got out of hand._

 _They tracked down the monster- code named "Beauty"- with little difficulty with their swift flying types and boxed it against Mt. Coronet. However, Beauty released a pheromone that bewitched their Pokemon, regardless of their gender or lack of. In their stupor, it cut them apart with it's pincers and sheer speed, escaping them yet again._

 _Just when they thought Beauty was all they had to deal with, sightings of another monster would be reported- a muscled mosquito-like monster who could smash apart steel and stone like they were less than nothing. When another group tried to corner it, all that was left of them were stains on the ground. The International Police gave it the code name "Absorption"._

 _The Hunters remaining were determined not to meet the same fate- they tracked down Beauty and Absorption with a new plan. They used sweet scent, whirlwind, tailwind and defog to confuse Beauty and to protect their Pokemon from it's pheromones. Then, they used spores and status moves to cut Absorption's movement, whittle down it's health and lower it's attack power._

 _Then, they cut them apart with ease and the Hunters were celebrated for their efforts. The International Police on the other hand, weren't so optimistic- aside from similar readings from both Pokemon showcasing types similar to Heracross, they had no idea where these monsters came from or why they were attacking them so brutally._

* * *

 _The Hunters grew in strength and size, spreading across the world. When more and more of the monsters began to spring up, they were ready to fight them- they were repeats of the previous monsters, "Blaster", "Blade", "Gluttony", "Beauty", "Absorption", meaning these monsters were NOT one of a kind._

 _With the knowledge of the previous beasts, the Hunters were not only able to defeat them before their rampages went out of control but the people began to adapt as well- the monsters became part of every day life and trainers could choose to become Hunters themselves, just like the specialization classes of dragon tamers, sky trainers and mono-types._

 _However in their strength, came complacency. They assumed that these were the only types of monster and became arrogant from their victories against them. The Hunters began to think they were entitled to the best the world had to offer because of their services- many had already joined because of this mentality and the spoils it would bring them._

 _When the blackouts began, no one was readily assuming it was because of a monster- blackouts were common because of electric Pokemon's sporadic power even before the monsters showed up. Even when they went to investigate, all they found were trees and buildings untouched. Even when people began to act strangely and disappearing, no eyebrows were raised as it was common for people to suddenly move or disappear from town to become trainers._

 _So when a new monster was caught on camera in Unova after a massive blackout in Castelia City, the Hunters were gathered to together to destroy it. They brought ground, grass and dragon types to deal with this monster, but the monster- code named "Lighting"- destroyed the first group utterly, leaving behind their smoldering and scorched corpses as testament to it's power._

 _Those who fought against Lighting wished that it was the only thing they had to worry about- because the worst damage would come from "Symbiont". This monster wasn't particularly strong or fast or sturdy. Rather, it released a toxin that drove whoever injected or was infected by it mad._

 _Those who disappeared were puppets of Symbiont and attacked others- even when they defended themselves with their Pokemon, the infected would either shake it off even when they lost limbs or suddenly become so fast they could dodge the attacks. The only reason they found out that these infected were the result of a monster was because a dying Hunter had managed to make a recording on her phone and it was found on her person._

 _It showed the figure of a tentacle like monster- whose movements and appearance resembled a young girl- used it's appendages and stuck them inside a person and spread a powerful poison into their veins. Closer inspection on the quarantined showed that the toxins were not so much brainwashing them as they were giving them something that resembled the combination of an adrenaline high and drunk stupor._

 _Their senses were dulled to anything not themselves and their desires while the adrenaline boost increases their physical abilities- a dangerous combination. These infected would cause mayhem by themselves or with their Pokemon- who could be infected by the toxins through contact from their trainer. Powerful trainers like the gym leaders and Alder's own grandson Benga became infected and rampaged unceasingly, leaving countless in their wake._

 _Even worse, more monsters appeared across the regions, dispelling the notion that Blaster, Blade, Gluttony, Beauty and Absorption were the only types of monster. Blasters decimated forests with it's rocket-arms, Blades left entire cities and towns in ruin, Gluttonies drank and ate entire bodies of water and islands, Beauties easily seduced it's attackers before slashing them to pieces, Absorptions smashed apart mountains- along with numerous Lighting draining away electricity from entire power plants and towns and deriving the humans of power to communicate and even more Symbiont controlling masses of humans and Pokemon, the entire world fell into disarray._

 _Finally, the last of the Hunters grouped together and decided to do an all-out, all-or-nothing, final battle with the monsters- these were led by International Police Officer Looker, and the last survivor of the Battle Frontier Saloon Maiden Anabel..._

* * *

Nanu's expression didn't change as Anabel finished, shaking as tears slid down her face as she finished talking. In the security room, Looker looked torn between pity, horror and sadness. But one thing was for certain in both men's minds.

The possibility of those monsters appearing again was far greater than they ever feared.

* * *

 _Five years later..._

* * *

 **Dark blue surrounded her, shimmering from the dim light of the moon. A few Luvdisc swam past her with one softly blowing bubbles in her face. But she didn't let that stop her, not when her goal was right in front of her. After hours of searching, back-tracking and consulting NPCs, she had finally found the lost treasure of-**

"ASALIE!"

The girl jumped in surprise at her brother's unexpectedly loud voice, nearly dropping her controller and misclicking so her avatar fired a signal flare, alerting a swarm of Tentacruel who surrounded it. "What?! What do you want?! Do you not see the 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign on my door?!" she snapped back irritably.

Her door opened up and let in light from outside- the girl yelped before diving right back under the blanket she had over her back and shoulders to hide from the sun. A young man nearly a decade older with slightly long black hair, brown eyes and bronze skin scowled lightly at his sister's quivering form beneath the blankets.

"This is why we have windows, Asa," the young man sighed as he drew back the curtains, allowing the afternoon sun to flood in before yanking the blankets off Asalie and making her yelp again from the exposure of the light.

She had long ruffled dark brown, light black eyes with dark circles underneath them and olive skin that had a pallor from never going outside for more than a few hours a day if she could help it. "Ow ow..." she groaned, head and eyes throbbing from the light. "How can you be so cruel to your own blood, Astin...?"

"It's been two weeks since we got to Alola and you haven't left the house even once," Astin chided her as she tried to roll towards her blankets, eyes squeezed shut and hands over her ears before he yanked the fabric out of her reach. "I might have put up with this back home, but not here. For Arceus' sake, have you seen how beautiful it is outside?!"

"It's sand, trees and water- there's nothing that great about them!"

 _"Asa..."_

The brunette peeked through her hands and saw her older brother's "Don't-try-me" face. She scowled and picked herself up into a sitting position, wincing from the strain on her eyes. The screen of her TV showed **GAME OVER** with the remains of her avatars skeleton lying on the rocks. "... I'd rather be back in Kanto," Asalie groused, knees up to her chest and hands resting on the joints.

"I know it's hard, but this is a great opportunity for dad- and for us too. A fresh start in a beautiful region..."

"Well, what if I don't want to start over?! I had a perfectly fine life back in Kanto! Also, stop trying to paraphrase that stupidly hot professor, it's just weird coming from you."

"Well, Kukai's not wrong and he did help dad get his new job. He's even offered you a special Pokemon!"

"What's so great about Pokemon, anyway? They're a bunch of ultra-powerful animals who tear up everything and make messes- it easier just to play the game series."

Astin gave a sigh, his hand pulled back his hair as he examined his younger sibling- he hated upsetting and/or scaring Asalie, but if she didn't go out and see the world, she'd be all alone and unprepared for when she would be inevitably be brought out.

"Look, I'll come with you to the next town over- they even have routes that'll keep you from running into Pokemon on the way there," he suggested. "You can look at the Pokemon there and then decide whether or not you want one."

Asalie's gaze was kept on the floor, brow furrowed as she mulled over this. "... fine. But only if this'll get you off my back," she finally said.

The young man grinned and ruffled her hair fondly. "That's the spirit! By the way, dad left some gifts for when you decided to come outside- they're by the leftover boxes!"

With that, he ran out of her room to get his own things. Asalie sent a disgruntled look at the outside world but pushed herself onto her feet, the joints crackling as movement flooded through them. She stretched a bit to get the feeling back in them before heading to the living room where the moving boxes still laid. Her father was a bit of a paranoid pack-rat who held the sentiment that anything could be of value and was loathe to discard anything, especially boxes.

Her eye twitched at the sight of the all but literal sea of knick-knacks, doo-dads and other items on every surface of the house before falling on the bundle with her name on it in bright, bold letters.

Go get 'em, star! Dad

Asalie's lips flickered with a smile at the encouragement and she opened the bundle up. Inside was the bag she had once spotted in a window during the last days in Kanto- her lips twitched further into a smile before she found the next object, quickly reverting the smile to a "wtf?" expression.

The object in question was a bright red... something with a white poke-ball logo on it. It resembled a glove but when Asalie tried to put it on, it immediately slipped off her hand. That was when she saw just how big the radius of the object was.

 _Wait a second- is this a hat? Is this an honest to Arceus HAT?!_

Asalie sweat-dropped at the hat, realizing that her dad buying something that tacky-looking was well within his natural habits. She debated stuffing it in her closet and claiming that she lost it but ultimately couldn't bring herself to actually discard it. Like anything her dad got her, Asalie knew he did because he thought it'd make her happy.

That and the kicked Lillipup expression he made when she tried to tell him she didn't want the Chatot alarm clock killed a bit of her inside.

With reluctance, Asalie fit the glove-hat over her head and looking in the mirror showed her she looked just as silly as she thought she would. But at the same time, the hat had the same charm that all of her dad's stuff seemed to have- silly, but full of heart.

 _Well, no use delaying the inevitable,_ Asalie thought as she saw Astin waving to her outside- with that, she opened the door and stepped into the sunlight.

* * *

I finished Sun and Moon and have been inspired to write once more.

Please don't kill me.

Edited 4/16/17


	2. Chapter 2

Cottonmouth25: Thanks a lot. Being compared to Pacific Rim is awesome :D

TheHolyBlade: I do my best :)

lychee-rain: That is correct.

Updates will happen when they happen.

I can make no such promises, I'm afraid

Gigarot: You will see.

manulani (they won't let me space out your name ^^;): Well, they are aliens that destroyed a world- they'd freak anyone out ^^;

* * *

 _"It burns!"_

Astin closed his eyes as Asalie dived for the shadows of the house to escape the afternoon sunlight. "Arceus, give me strength..." he muttered under his breath before calling to his younger sister, "Come on, Asa- the sooner you do, the sooner you can come back!"

Asalie looked at him from beneath the porch before begrudgingly going to his side, gripping his hand like a child. _When is she gonna start acting like she's fifteen?_ he wondered before leading her down the route.

Their house was located right next to Hau'oli City, an enormous commercial zone/city with harbor, mall and various other faculties. It was certainly contrasting to see such a city next to a rural area like Route 1. It reminded Astin of Saffron City and hoped that Asalie would see the similarities and put her more at ease. The route itself had a few trees with strange fruit growing from it and brambles and flowers grew over the sides of the fences on either side of the route.

"So what do you think?" Astin asked as they continued walking. "Pretty nice out here, isn't it?"

"... I guess..." she muttered, looking at least a little at ease at seeing the city before she saw some youngsters and lasses with poke-balls.

"Alola!" they chirped. "You wanna battle?"

The brunette shied away before Astin said gently, "Sorry, neither of us have Pokemon on us."

"Really?! You should go see Professor Kukui, he helped me catch my Ledyba!"

"I'll give it some thought, thanks."

Once the children moved on, Asalie let out a soft sigh of relief and Astin comforted her, "It's normal to feel out of place when you're somewhere new- so don't worry, okay?"

The younger brunette only looked down. At the very least, the pathway they were on made it so they wouldn't come across any patches of tall grass or get ambushed from the trees and/or bushes/shrubberies.

* * *

Finally, they made it to Iki Town and Asalie relaxed a bit at seeing some semblance of civilization, though she didn't let go of Astin's hand. "Some semblance" meaning it resembling a tiny village- even Lavender Town wasn't as small as this place.

 _I guess it's to be expected from this kind of place._

"You know, this town apparently worships the Guardian Pokemon that watches over Melemele island- Tapu Koko," Astin noted as they walked through the town- there were few buildings, with one looking like a trainer's school, and in the center of town was a circular battle stage with two staircases on the left and right sides.

"That is a silly name and they should feel bad about naming it that," Asalie stated but Astin wasn't listening, looking around.

"That's weird- Kukai and the others ought to be here waiting for us..." he murmured. "Maybe they're running late...?"

The young man turned to his sister. "I'm going to search town for the Kahuna- stay here by the battle stage and wait for me so we don't miss each other, okay?"

Asalie frowned at this but nodded. "Now, the kahuna is what it sounds like, so you shouldn't miss him if he comes by!" Astin told her before he went off. She sat on the staircase and glowered at anyone who looked her way, feeling exposed in the light and the eyes on her.

 _Great, another waste of time,_ she thought darkly, looking at the pitifully small town. _I could be clearing the Sea Adventures next floor right now but nooo-_

Her gaze softened as she thought of Saffron City, with it's familiar cement and concrete streets, Silph Corporation towering over everything, Gym and Dojo. Even if she didn't care for the first two's professions, Asalie missed the familiarity of her home and the few people that she cared for that lived there.

 _This is why I didn't go outside,_ she thought venomously, hands holding onto opposite arms. _I don't want to be anywhere but home-_

"- ruins? I don't know what you hope to find there..."

The brunette's train of thought was interrupted as she heard the snippet and looked towards the beginning of a northern path across from the battle stage.

The speaker was a girl who didn't look much older than Asalie- she had blonde hair reaching her waist, a large white sunhat, sleeveless white dress, white knee socks and white dress shoes and carrying a poke-ball duffel bag that that was _moving_ and she was evidently talking to.

She reminded Asalie of the sheltered, aristocratic girls from the RPGs, adventure games and that one dating sim that her brother confiscated until she was at least sixteen, the ones that often offered quests, missions and even dates. Everything about her was clean, tailored like millions of pokeyen were paid to the tailor and she looked as nervous as Asalie was feeling.

The girl went by a sign labeled "The Ruins of Conflict- straight ahead!" and entered the trail. Asalie's eyes followed the girl until she disappeared down the path before looking around- she still didn't see any sign of her brother. Digging in her bag, she brought out her notebook and wrote down a quick note and set her hat down as a paperweight before running to the path.

She didn't know why, but her curiosity and draw to the girl and what she was doing was overriding her fear.

* * *

The trail held no tall grass, much to Asalie's relief. The only sign that humans had been there were the bizarre statues and the wooden steps built into the sloping trail. She grimaced at the grinning faces carved out, staying as far from them as she could. They reminded her of the statues carved outside of Lavender Town's Resting Place, said to protect the spirits of the departed from demons.

Her hand came to her chest where it ached for a moment before focusing on heading up the path. While Asalie was worried she might lose track of the girl, she soon saw that the trail only went forward so they were bound to meet up eventually.

She was proven right when she saw the girl at the top of the trail, her bag rustling again and her talking seemed to calm whatever was in it down, though Asalie had no way of hearing her. The way the girl swayed as she walked against the wind made something flicker in Asalie's mind, but her curiosity quickly brought her focus to the girl.

As she went down further, Asalie began to hear a distant roar- she eventually reached the upper area of the trail to see the girl had stopped in front of a wooden bridge over a roaring waterfall and river. As she walked closer, the brunette felt the curiosity be replaced with cold anxiety- what was she doing, following this girl who obviously had been trying not to be seen in the first place?

 _She'd probably think I was some sort of crazy stalker,_ she thought with a grimace and began to walk back before her foot stepped down on a branch and it broke with a sharp _snap!_

Before Asalie could run and hide, the girl already turned around to see her. she had two braids on either side of her head and against her shoulders and brilliant chartreuse eyes that were surprised and then pleading, rather than fearful. The two stared at each other and Asalie felt sweat break on her temple for an entirety new reason.

This girl was adorable beyond what mere words could describe.

"Um..." she began, only for her throat to close up.

 _SAY SOMETHING YOU IDIOT- ANYTHING AT ALL!_

"Who are you?!" Asalie blurted out, remembering that Astin said that the kahuna looked like it sounded- she still had no idea what the hell a kahuna was so there was a chance this girl might actually be the one she was looking for and Asalie was NOT a stalker for trying to find the person she was supposed to meet.

The girl winced at the volume of Asalie's voice before shaking her head and timidly replying, "Never mind me..." before pleading, "Please, you have to help them! I beg you- please help Nebby!"

Just then, Asalie heard a **"SQUAWK!"** \- this made both of them look ahead. Asalie could see three Spearow tormenting a tiny dark form. **"Pe-e-ew!"** it wailed in distress.

Something settled in the brunette's stomach at seeing the creature- a draw that was already making her yearn to be closer to it. _The hell?_ she wondered, flinching as she realized she had already walked to the beginning of the bridge.

She looked between the creature and the girl. "Please, I'm begging you..." she whispered. "They can't fight back against the Spearow. But- I'm too afraid to go out there. I- I don't deal with heights well- and my legs feel like they're going to give out..."

Unfortunately, Asalie was in a similar position- she had no Pokemon, her body was clammy with sweat brought on by anxiety and anticipation, the draw to the little creature was making her stomach twist at the contradicting emotions. It certainly didn't help that all of this was taking place on a worn-out bridge that already had planks hanging from it like loose teeth.

But at the same time, adrenaline was racing through her at the danger present, the draw to the creature was becoming almost unbearable and the imploring expression on the girl's face made her gut twist with guilt at the mere idea of Asalie turning her down.

Asalie looked at the girl, then back at the Spearow and Nebby, took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself- then ran past the girl and onto the bridge, crying out with a cracked voice, _"Leroy Jenkins!"_

The planks were as un-sturdy as they looked and Asalie stumbled a few times while the bridge itself creaked ominously but she kept running until she was in front of the Spearow. She dropped to her knees to duck under the bird-Pokemon and set her body over Nebby to protect it- the draw was replaced with a joy and triumph so powerful, a grin was already spreading across her face. A Spearow jabbing at her raised arm quickly wiped it off and she curled around Nebby as her arms covered her head against the bridge, eyes shut tightly.

 _Oh Arceus, what was I thinking?!_ she thought as the Spearow's cawing grated against her eardrums and her arms and knees ached from the rough wood chafing against the skin- and the mood whiplashing joy _wouldn't leave_. _I don't even have any Pokemon, how am I supposed to get-_

Her thought was broken when light reflected off the back of her eyelids and she opened them up to see Nebby start glowing with brilliant blue and purple light. Then the planks disappeared from beneath them and Asalie saw the river rushing beneath her before they both began to fall.

Memories from her life before in Kanto flashed before her eyes- Astin, her dad, her old room-

 _Am I gonna die-?_

Her best friend who didn't care she preferred staying inside and playing video games while Asalie didn't care she copied everything around her, the gym leader who was happy to have her company-

 _I don't wanna die-_

A woman with jet black hair, bronze skin and light black eyes smiled at her, holding her arms out. _"My precious star..."_ and sheer terror overrode everything.

 _I DON'T WANNA DIE_

Just as Asalie was about to hit the water, she heard a crackling noise and the Spearow squawking in pain before something grabbed her behind her knees and back and she was flying through the air before being set down right by the girl's side. There, looking at them, was- was-

 _WHAT THE EVER-LOVING FUCK EVEN IS THAT_

The- _whatever it was_ \- was a black humanoid with white and yellow markings, orange mane and bright multicolored eyes- that were focused either her or Nebby- with yellow shields on either arm and legs covered in the same orange fur. It let out a bellow before flying away into the horizon.

 _"What the fuck?"_ Asalie rasped, voice high pitched and constricted from sheer shock.

 **"Pew!"** Nebby squeaked, happily jumping from Asalie into the girl's arms.

"Oh thank goodness!" the girl exclaimed, holding the Pokemon tightly with such a relieved expression. "You tried using your power again, didn't you? You couldn't move for ages after the last time you used it- please don't do that again, I hate seeing you like that!"

But then she shook her head, looking ashamed. "What was I thinking, saying that? I'm so sorry Nebby- I know you were only trying to help me, and I couldn't even return the favor..."

Asalie was starting to feel VERY out of place as the girl gently fussed over Nebby. She had no idea what the hell they were talking about but she definitely knew the girl wasn't talking about what just happened. She also felt a bit gypped at the girl ignoring her after what happened.

 _What am I, chopped liver?_

 **"Pew pew!"**

Just then, a sparkling light caught her eye and at the same time, Nebby jumped out of the girl's arms and used their mouth to pick up the item before presenting it to the girl.

"What is that...? A sparkling stone? It feels warm somehow..." the girl said to herself, gently turning over the item in her hands before her eyes settled on Asalie.

The brunette jumped at the girl's attention, the sweat returning to her temple. "Um-" she began.

 _"Please forgive me!"_ the girl blurted out, bowing low enough that her hat nearly slipped off- she tried to steady it but could barely manage with the item in her hands while the bag nearly slipped off her shoulder.

This only endeared her even further to Asalie, whose mouth quickly formed a tiny smile that made the girl look at her strangely before it fell off her lips. "I am truly grateful for you helping Nebby out of such a dangerous spot- thank you, truly!"

Asalie tried to reply, she really did- but she was still reeling from nearly dying, being saved by... whatever the hell THAT was and being enamored by such an adorable person. That was when she remembered what Astin had told her to look out for and that she didn't want to look like a crazy stalker.

"Are you the kahuna?" Asalie asked.

The girl shook her head "no" and then held the item out to Asalie- it was a sparkling stone with a few rhombus engravings in it. "I think this must belong to you," she said softly- Asalie knew she was dodging the question but accepted the stone all the same.

 _Well, it'll make a good paperweight at least..._

"Please, I beg you- don't tell anyone about this, about seeing Nebby," the girl pleaded. "Please, keep this a secret, okay?"

Asalie was already nodding before she realized it and the girl gently ushered Nebby back into the bag. The blonde was about to walk back to the trail before she stopped. "Um..." she mumbled before turning back to the brunette. "I'm worried we might get attacked by some wild Pokemon... or something, again," eyes averting down to her feet. "I know it's too much for me to ask you- but could you please see us back to Iki town?"

Asalie's mouth dropped open at this- she didn't even have Pokemon for Arceus' sake, why did this girl think she could actually protect either of them if the Spearow came back?! The only reason they were okay now was because of- whatever the hell THAT was!

But she couldn't find it in herself to turn the girl down and nodded, leading them back to Iki Town.

* * *

Astin had nearly had a panic attack when he couldn't find Asalie but her note at least let him know where she was. Not that this stopped him from keeping her all but glued to her side after she and the girl returned- along with Astin, Asalie saw Professor Kukai in all his bare-chested glory and an energetic dark skinned boy with dark green hair tied back and bright gray eyes.

She also found out that the girl was actually an assistant to Professor Kukui and her name was Lillie. "And this here's Asalie! She and her family just moved here from Kanto, so take good care of her, Lillie!" Kukui chirped to the blonde.

"T-take care-" Asalie repeated, feeling her face heat up in surprise before she mentally slapped herself.

 _Keep it together, this isn't an anime!_

Lillie turned to her, looking rather serious. "I see- you must be one of the professor's acquaintances then! It's nice to meet you, Asalie. Thank you again for your help," she said, bowing lowly again.

This time, her hat really did fall off but Asalie reached out and caught it before it hit the ground. As she went to hand it back to the blonde, Asalie was surprised to find that Lillie was actually taller than she was, meaning she had little to no excuse for staring into those chartreuse eyes-

 _NOT AN ANIME!_ she screamed in her head as she handed it back.

 _"Alola!_ It's nice to meetcha, Asa!" the boy exclaimed, jumping between the two of them and shaking her hand happily. "I'm Hau! Welcome to Alola! I hope you like it here!"

Asalie weakly tried to gain her balance after such an an enthusiastic greeting and handshake, a little weirded out that someone she didn't know was calling the nickname that her older brother had been calling her for years. Lillie shook her head at Hau's eagerness. "Please don't mind him, Hau's always like this..."

"Good to know," she said absent-mindfully before freezing as she realized she said this aloud, but Hau only gave a cheerful laugh before he turned to the sounds of commotion over by the townspeople.

"The Kahuna is back!"

"Kahuna Hala has returned!"

"Our guardian's chosen one is back!"

"One of the strongest Pokemon users in all Alola, yeah!"

Hau looked torn between excitement and trying to appear serious and Asalie turned to where he was looking. An older man with white beard and hair, brown skin and squinted gray eyes, wearing a yellow robe jacket that reminded her- whatever the hell THAT had been. From the rest of the townspeople's murmurings, Asalie deduced he was a strong trainer and apparently had a connection with Tapu Koko.

 _It's still a silly name and they should feel bad about naming it that-_

 _"TUTU!"_

Hau's voice broke over the crowd and he raced over to the old man to hug him happily. _"Tutu,_ welcome home!" the boy chirped happily.

The old man nodded, ruffling Hau's hair good-naturedly. "I see you've made it here before me for the first time."

"Of course I did! This is the day I finally get a Pokemon from you, after all!"

 _Well good for him I suppose,_ Asalie thought as her brother exclaimed with both relief and exasperation, "Here you are! No offence Kahuna Hala, but what took you so long?"

This quickly proved to be a mistake, as several townspeople began to turn angry. "Hey, don't talk that way to Kahuna Hala!"

"Show some respect!"

"Yeah!"

"You might be new here but don't think it lets you be disrespectful!"

"Peace," Hala said sternly, holding up a hand to quiet the people. "I am the Kahuna of Melemele island- so if there is a problem, it is my duty to resolve it. To answer your question young man, I was dealing with a wayward Taurus and it took a bit longer than I anticipated."

Astin looked ashamed at that. "Sorry- I didn't think-" he began but Hala was already holding his hand up.

"It's all right, I apologize for my lateness, so let us get to the matter at hand. I believe I saw Tapu Koko flying around for some reason- would anyone here happen to know why?"

"Tapu Koko was here?!" Hau exclaimed, looking around excitedly. "Where?! How?! Why?!"

"Um..."

Hala and Hau looked over to Lillie as she spoke up- she jumped a bit at the attention but continued to him in a softer voice, "Yes, Kahuna Hala. My... companion was attacked by Spearow on the Plank Bridge," before gesturing to the brunette. "-when this girl, I mean, Asalie, helped protect them. But the bridge collapsed and I thought both of them might fall into the river-"

"You almost DROWNED?!" Astin croaked in horror, immediately checking over Asalie in fear.

 _Thank you for reminding me,_ the brunette thought, feeling her stomach curdle at the memory.

"But then the island's guardian deity swooped in and saved them before either of them were hurt!" Lillie quickly finished.

"Whoa!" Hau exclaimed, looking at Asalie in awe. "That's amazing!"

"Woo! That's something you don't hear every day!" Kukui remarked with an unsurprised grin.

"Wait, if it's called a guardian then why is it saving someone so surprising?" Asalie asked as Astin let her breath from him hugging her too hard. At least she knew who that thing was- apparently, Tapu Koko.

"Well Tapu Koko's our island's guardian deity, yeah," Hau began before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "but more often than not, it likes to march to the beat of it's own drum!"

"And yet, it was moved to save a stranger to our land, one that has developed little love or interest in them," Hala mused, eyes on the brunette.

Asalie was torn between blushing in shame and scowling at the man's comment before both were swept away with confusion. What could have possibly made something like a legendary Pokemon- well, guardian deity Pokemon, try to save her? She was grateful for it for doing so, but why did it do so?

"- celebrate!"

Ah, she missed something Hala said. "What?" she began before he declared, "It seems I should entrust this brave and kind young girl with a Pokemon of her own, after all!"

"... WHAT?!" Asalie shrieked in surprise, making some people wince at the volume of her voice and her face burned at her outburst.

"That's great, Asa- congratulations!" Hau exclaimed happily, slapping her on the back, completely unperturbed at her shock.

"That's why we came here in the first place, remember?" Astin said to her with a smile. "At the very least, you can take a Pokemon with you so something like earlier doesn't happen again."

The brunette shivered at that reminder. As much as she hated to admit it, Astin had a valid point. If a Pokemon could prevent something like that happening again, then she could at least see what was available.

"Come, my Pokemon! Let us have a look at you!" Hala called and pulled out three poke-balls.

 **"Koo..."**

 **"Mrowr?"**

 **"Bwark!"**

A tan, white and green owl, a black and red kitten and a blue sea lion with large spherical pink nose came out. "These are Rowlet the grass type, Litten the fire type and Popplio the water type,," Hala explained.

"Now then Hau, Asalie- which Pokemon will you choose as your partner?"

* * *

Edited: 4/18/17


	3. Chapter 3

The Palmtop Tiger: Thank you so much! I tried doing a different take on the protagonist.

TheHolyBlade: I'm glad you liked it.

No, the events of the first chapter- have you completely finished the games? Because I really don't want to spoil you ^^;

Gigarot: Heh, thanks- I tried my best with her.

Mitsuki: PICKLED STRAWBERRIES

18Gs: Thank you :)

* * *

Asalie examined the Pokemon closely upon the battle stage. She still felt wary around Pokemon, but she knew that having at least one Pokemon would make sure that what happened at the bridge didn't happen again.

But which one would she chose to ensure that?

"Remember that the Pokemon chooses you as well," Hala told them both. "So make sure that you both want one another."

 _No pressure or anything,_ the brunette thought,stomach twisting with nervousness.

Asalie looked at Popplio first- a water type and seemed very proud of itself as it showed off to her like a show. It seemed a fast, slick Pokemon- but it also reminded her of her neighbor's dog Pokemon and how some of them would chase her around for hours and chew on her video games if they got into her room. Popplio visibly slouched when Asalie moved on.

Asalie looked at Litten next- a fire type and seemed rather on edge with it's eyes narrowed. It seemed a lithe, cunning Pokemon- her mom had a Meowth and she got along well enough with it before he died. She reached out to the fire type only for it to hiss lowly, fangs barred and hackles raised. Litten's eyes narrowed further even when Asalie moved on.

Asalie looked at Rowlet last- a grass type and seemed very calm, meeting her gaze squarely. It seemed a more defensive Pokemon- but the wings reminded her of flight and how Tapu Koko had swooped in from before and brought her and Nebby to safety. She bent down and placed her hands on her knees to look at Rowlet better, keeping eye contact all the meanwhile.

 **"Koo..."**

Finally, Rowlet flapped it's wings and Asalie held her hands out to catch the grass type. **"Koo-koo,"** the Rowlet cooed softly, gently nuzzling her cheek with it's beak.

Her stomach seemed to settle and rupture with new Butterfree at the gesture- she could barely heard Hala's remark about Rowlet accepting her and jumped as Kukui ruffled her hair. "In accepting one another, I'm sure you'll become friends for life!" he declared.

"I don't know about that..." Asalie mumbled even as she maneuvered her arms so Rowlet could adjust itself a bit, the round body warm and soft against her chest.

"Cool! What're ya gonna name 'em?" Hau asked, looking over Asalie's shoulder to wave to Rowlet.

The brunette stopped at this, brow creasing as she thought for a moment before remembering an old series that she read when she was much younger. "What do you think of the name 'Tengshu'?"

Rowlet's expression immediately turned flat, making the brunette wilt a bit. "That bad, huh? "How about 'Twilight'?"

Rowlet arched a barely seen eyebrow. "Okay then," the brunette said, a sweat-drop on her head. "How about..."

As Asalie tried listing off a bunch of names for Rowlet, Hau was all but vibrating on the stairs until Hala finally took pity on him and called up to Asalie, "Perhaps you'll be able to think clearly if you return to your roots?"

"Oh yeah! Dad should be coming back home tonight and you can show him Rowlet then!" Astin remembered, patting his fist into his palm.

Asalie got off the stage and Hau leaped over the steps, stumbling for a moment before coming to a stop in front of Litten and Popplio. The former looked even more annoyed at seeing Hau and actually hissed at him while the latter looked dismayed at not being chosen the first time around and gave a tiny whimper, tears in it's eyes. Hau didn't even look at Litten as he knelt before Popplio, surprising it.

"I've always wanted a puppy!" he chirped with a bright, warm smile.

The Popplio's eyes widened as the tears vanished and it let out a happy bark before jumping into the boy's out-stretched hands, licking and nuzzling his face. Hau giggled as he landed on his butt and hugged Popplio to him happily. Litten didn't so much as bat an eye before leaping off the stage and curling around Kukui's shoulders.

"Congratulations, you two," Lillie said with a smile, even though Asalie was still trying to list names off to Rowlet as she began to follow Astin home and Hau was too busy playing with Popplio.

"Oh hey, cousin!" Kukui suddenly yelled after Asalie, making her jump with surprise before she clung to Rowlet so she wouldn't accidentally drop him.

The bare-chested professor ran up to her and gave her a package. "I guarantee you'll like what's inside!" he promised.

* * *

"What about Boron? Maybe Cleve? Or how about Martin?"

Rowlet heaved a sigh. Asalie and the grass/flying type were inside her room, the window open for once as the brunette tried to think of a name that would suit her very first Pokemon.

"Maybe Silver, or Coryn? How about Orlando- no, I don't wanna name you after that jerk- what about Gwyndor or Braithe?"

The grass owl merely turned away from her to explore the room, leaving Asalie to give a weak groan of despair. _What the heck do I do? I really thought that we had something and now he's completely turned off..._

"Asa! Dad's home!" Astin called from the living room.

Asalie looked over at Rowlet as he gave a gentle peck at the case holding her games. She had made sure it was sturdy enough so it would survive being tossed around and with locks so that only she could open them. "Hey, my dad's home. Do you wanna met him?" she asked tentatively.

Rowlet gave her a level stare before sighing again and flew after her. Asalie smiled weakly with relief before she went out to see her family.

Ashwin Nalani was a man in his early forties with messy ash-brown hair, bright brown eyes and brown skin- he wore a white uniform, through he had taken the gloves and belts off when he had gotten home. When he saw Asalie appear, he scooped both his children into his arms.

"Good to be home," he said, kissing both of their foreheads before noticing Rowlet. "And with some company, I see!"

He knelt down before the grass owl, holding his hand out for Rowlet. After a moment, Rowlet flew up to gently nip at his hand and settled on his arm. "Now, which one of these two is your trainer, eh?" he asked, gently running a ringer down his spine and making the grass owl coo happily. "That handsome young man, or this adorable young lady?"

 _"Dad!"_ Asalie protested, face bright red while Astin laughed before he leaned his elbow against her head, saying, "That would be the latter, father dear."

Ashwin looked genuinely surprised at this before his smile widened at her. "Congratulations. I'm sure you'll take good care of her, star."

Asalie blinked at this before the realization that she had fallen for the biggest naming cliche in history properly hit her. _"D'OH!"_ she groaned/ snapped in disbelief, face-palming.

Rowlet seemed to chuckle at this, flying down from Ashwin's arm and onto the back of the couch. "Okay, let's start over," Asalie declared, fist plopping into her palm. "What do you think of the name Gylfie? It's a feminine name, I swear."

Rowlet merely shook her head "no", now watching Asalie with a gentle gaze as she went through as many female names as she could think of. Astin and Ashwin watched with amusement and silent amazement.

"How on earth did you get her to come outside?" the elder asked.

"Well, I used my sheer skill in diplomacy and negotiation to get her to come outside of her free will, of course!" Astin declared proudly, a sparkle by his face.

"I'll believe that when I see it," the older man snorted.

"Maybe Outulissa? How about Ruby?"

Rowlet only shook her head again as Asalie listed these names off but paid the girl as much attention as she was paying the Pokemon. In the meantime, Astin relayed what had happened that day to their father.

"So that's what happened. I'm just glad she's all right," Ashwin said with a concerned frown. "To think that a legendary Pokemon- well, a guardian deity Pokemon- would have interest in our little star."

"It's kind of amazing to see this- to think she was so wary of Pokemon just today," Astin admitted, stealing a glance at the two.

"Maybe Barran? How about Nyra- no, she's a jerk too- or what about Emerilla?"

"To be fair, she _did_ have a Pokemon phase a few years back- though it was just in battle simulations and studying types," the young man recalled. "She was just never interested in the more practical side."

"Maybe now she might be," Ashwin mused.

"I've been researching the Alola region and how they view battling here- unlike in Kanto where it's all but stated you become a trainer at some point in your life, you can take plenty of different paths here that don't necessarily equate to being the strongest or the very best. There's not even a Pokemon League here yet and no gyms either- rather, they complete trials that try other skills that don't involve battling."

Astin was surprise at this. "No fooling?"

"Even if Asalie has no interest in being a trainer, it could still be beneficial for her to at least have some Pokemon with her so even if she runs into a similar situation like today, she'll be able to handle it. And the Island Challenge might offer her a fresh look not just on Pokemon, but..."

Finally when Asalie asked, "What about Siv or Pellimore?" Rowlet nodded. Asalie repeated the two names back until she was certain.

"Okay- your name is Pellimore! 'Pell' for short! Sound good?"

Rowlet- Pellimore- smiled and cooed gently, flying up onto Asalie's head. The brunette couldn't help the excited grin on her face- before she realized she was now in charge of looking after and caring for a living creature and possibly five more. A pit of horror and anxiety dropped right into her stomach, sweat breaking out all over her.

"Uh, dad?" Asalie weakly said, mechanically turning to face Ashwin with a face blue in horror, "you've dealt with Pokemon and whatnot- what do I do?"

Ashwin tried his damnedest to hold back a snicker of amusement- his daughter needed his help, after all. "All right, just let me get some items and I'll show you..."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Asalie kept under her father's tutelage to learn as much about caring for Pokemon- particularly Rowlet and it's evolutions- as she could in theory and in practice.

She learned their diet, habitats, general tics associated with their species and how to care for them. Ashwin had even brought with a case full of grooming supplies and food for her and showed her how and when to use each item- a comb for grooming stray hairs and feathers, a brush to get dirt and dust out of said fibers, a towel to wipe away dirt and other... messes, a blow dryer that was self explanatory and even some wads of special cotton that could soak up certain poisons and other status conditions.

During this time, Kukui, Hau and Lillie all came over at varying times to see how she was doing: Kukui would always come barging in like he lived in the house to lecture her on attacks and types, Hau would come bouncing over while explaining some certain customs while Lillie would come over politely and usually spend it with Asalie.

While Asalie had been rather overwhelmed with so many people wanting to come over to see her, she found she was slowly getting used to it and even looking forward to it, especially Hau and Lillie's visits. Lillie had already endeared herself to Asalie and continued exposure with the blonde made it so the brunette wouldn't constantly be making Freudian Slips every time she (Asalie) opened her mouth.

Thankfully, or remarkably in this case, Lillie remained oblivious.

She was polite, rather serious and at times and showed very little knowledge of common things- Asalie originally chalked it up as her being similar to the brunette as she didn't go outside often. But Lillie barely knew how to work a stove or washing machine and dryer- Asalie had learned when she was only ten and had been taking care of her laundry and food ever since.

Lillie admitted that she only learned how to use all three very recently and was still getting used to them- during so, she admitted that her mother had always picked out what she wore when Asalie went to take care of her own laundry. The blonde had teared up a little when Asalie talked of Astin and her father and tried her best not to keep herself down in the dumps.

Asalie impulsively ouled her in a tight hug after that, reminiscent of how her brother and dad would comfort her sometimes- and like how every single protagonist in slice of life and romance games did this with their love interests eventually. The blonde didn't seem too upset about it though, thankfully.

Hau was cheerful, courteous and surprisingly mellow. Asalie thought he'd be bouncing off the walls and running to and fro locations as fast as possible- but no. He often took his time to look around, asking questions about anything around him and paying as much attention to those details as possible.

He was more used to rural devices, noting to have used gas stoves and hanging out laundry in the sun to dry in his home at Iki Town, but he was even better at using the dryer and washer than dad was (Asalie's clothes had never felt so _fresh_ ) and his cooking -especially his malasadas- made Asalie see _stars_.

She also learned that he was the grandson to Hala- his mother died not long after his birth and his father had left because of the pressures of being Kahuna, leaving Hala to take up the position. Asalie was a little surprised Hau could talk about it so easily but Hau laughed it off.

"My _ohana_ are still all around me, wherever I look," he said with a smile that could soften chocolate. While Asalie didn't understand completely, this had resonated with her deeply.

Both would always bring along Nebby and Konane, the Popplio, to visit as well. Pell was always happy to see Konane, as they got along quite well under Kukai (Masou, the Litten, had always been a solitary Pokemon, only allowing Kukui to take care of him) and the two of them became fast friends with Nebby, though they were only able to play with Nebby if they were inside. Lillie was very cautious with letting Nebby out, only allowing them to roam inside the house when they weren't by open windows.

Hau paid little mind to this, so long as Nebby was okay with this- Asalie however was becoming a little suspicious. Nebby didn't look like any Pokemon she had ever seen- though to be fair, she was in an entirely new region- and Lillie had _begged_ her before to keep Nebby a secret.

 _Does it have to do with that power they used on the bridge? She did say that they couldn't move for a long time afterwards,_ Asalie had wondered.

It should have bothered her a bit more, but she found that it didn't. If anything, Asalie had been far more at ease lately- something that never happened unless she had finished a series marathon or was playing first-person fighter games. She preferred staying indoors, where it was safe and controlled and simple and she certainly didn't enjoy getting dirty, tired or sweaty or spending long hours under the sky.

But she was finding she was doing so for hours at a time- at first, it had been because Pell needed fresh air so she could exercise and move about freely. Asalie would usually tail after her to make sure she didn't run into any wild Pokemon, usually during the night as Pell moved more freely during that time. It was also to humor Kukai and to make sure nothing was broken from him showcasing certain movies, as well as Hau and Lillie wanting to play with their Pokemon.

Asalie already barely slept because of her insomnia, but it seemed that time spent not sleeping couldn't be wasted. Time was moving so much faster than she thought possible- even faster than when she was on a time crunch for finishing a kart race or marathon. By the time she even realized it, Asalie found that she had spent three weeks alongside Pell, Hau and Lillie.

* * *

"HEY ASALIE!"

The brunette winced at Kukui's enthusiastic yell from outside but didn't stop eating her breakfast. After she finished her mouthful, she called back, "Door's open!"

Kukai came in with Masou draped over his shoulder as always, eyes narrowing at Pell as she ate her breakfast. The Rowlet clearly could care less of the Litten's mood and daintily nibbled at her food.

"Good to see you, cousin!" he chirped, pulling up a chair to help himself- both being called "cousin" and Kukui just sitting in to have a meal had been rather odd at first but Asalie had grown used to it quite quickly, much to her initial surprise.

With Ashwin was at work and Astin was often away on whatever venture he had planned, Asalie often had the house to herself. Hell, she wouldn't leave her room for days on end, unless to eat or relieve herself. Now having people come and go so often and having Pell with her almost constantly, Asalie didn't know how to feel about such a change.

"Sho cushin, ya no th-" Kukui began, mouth full of cereal.

"Swallow, professor," Asalie told him, wiping a few flakes and bits of spittle off her face with a napkin.

His swallow was audible and Kukui winced at the food scrapping his throat before he started again. "So cousin, you know about the festival we told you about?"

The brunette nodded as she reached for her orange juice. The festival that Kukui was talking about had been mentioned by Hau- every summer, there was a festival that gathered up the people of Iki Town and have a tournament of sorts in order to appease Tapu Koko.

As Kukui looked to tell her something, Asalie stopped and placed her orange juice back down in case he had news that might make her regret having liquid in her mouth and throat.

"Well, Hau and a few others will be participating in the battle tournament itself- Hala asked me to ask you if you wanted to battle in it too!"

Asalie was very grateful for her earlier choice with the juice. "Cousin?"

 _"Why did you wait until the day of to ask me?"_ she asked lowly.

"I- forgot?"

Asalie's eyes went wide, gray irises mere pinpricks against the sclera, aura torn between incredulity and anger. Kukui quickly held his hands up in a please-don't-hurt-me sign while Pell flew up onto her head, cooing gently. The brunette blinked in surprise at this gesture and plucked the grass owl off of her head, rage and bewilderment simmering away.

"Well, my answer is no, okay?"

Kukui scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I understand- sorry about that, cousin. But you'll still come to the festival, yeah? There's still plenty to do besides battling."

The brunette looked at Pell and the grass owl cooed, looking excited. "I guess so," she admitted before asking, "Is Lillie gonna be there?

"Yup! Speaking of which, did you like your present?"

"... huh?" she blinked in confusion, completely lost.

Kukui blinked back before he asked, "Ya know, the package I gave you at Iki Town, yeah?"

The brunette's face became completely red with shame as she weakly got out, "I completely forgot about that."

The professor laughed, clapping a reassuring hand on her back. "No worries, no sweat! The final part of the gift got here last night, so it'll to twice the surprise, yeah!"

"I can't believe me..." she moaned in disbelief at herself, Pell wordlessly setting a wing on her shoulder to comfort the girl.

"Well, we'll finish up breakfast here and then it's off to Iki Town, yeah!"

"Right..."

* * *

Edited: 4/18/17


	4. Chapter 4

Gigarot: Asalie is someone who's played enough games so that genre saviness has been required long ago. But alas, reality is not a game...

lychee-ran: I thought it suited her best.

Popplio was the very first starter I used, named him Eric (if anyone guesses where I got this from, you get a cookie)

Guest: I will take that as a compliment.

Ho-ho'boy...

Marc Ello-Re Yes: First off, creative username.

Huh, I never thought to describe her as cynical- more like "wary" ._.

Will do!

Anonymousloris: Great :D

TheHolyBlade: Well, I'm glad that you like my story *^w^*

Cottonmouth25: I got into the series because of my sibling, StargateNerd- the movie wasn't too bad either, but I can see why people don't like it :D

Thank you so much!

* * *

By the time Asalie, Pell and Kukui got to Iki Town, it was around eleven o'clock and the festival was in full swing.

Vendors sold food that made Asalie's mouth immediately water despite her having breakfast barely a half hour ago and various games were set up including poke-ball throwing judged on accuracy and distance, foot races, lei and paper flower-making stations, tattoo stations and a scavenger hunt.

"Here, you can open it up now," Kukui said as they came to a small tent with table and chair.

The brunette was still silent, disbelieving at herself. "Hey, I told you not to sweat it, cousin," the bare-chested professor told her with a smile.

Once the package was opened up, Asalie's mouth dropped open again. "Is- is that what I think it is?" she asked in equal measures awe and shock.

"You got it! Of course, it's not complete yet but I already got the last bit ready for this baby, yeah!" Kukui explained as he took the pokedex into his hands.

"I don't believe this," Asalie rasped, hands shaking. "You don't just _give_ a pokedex to anyone! So why-?!"

However Kukui was already gone, leaving Asalie and Pell on her head alone. _I had the Holy Grail of Pokemon research and technology in my house for three weeks and I didn't even bother to open it up,_ she thought, dumbfounded at herself.

 **"Koo?"** Pell cooed, looking at Asalie with concern.

The brunette smiled weakly before gently running a hand through Pell's feathers the way the Rowlet liked. "I'm fine, just-"

"Hello Asalie! Hello Pellimore!"

The brunette perked up at Lillie voice and she ran over to the blonde- who had a young man with blond hair wearing blue outdoors gear by her. "Uh- hi? Er, _Alola_ , Lillie- um, who is this?" she got out, feeling her delicate hopes starting to be strangled.

"Oh, this is Kekoa, one of Professor Kukui's acquaintances. He's going to be in the festival tournamen and he offered to show me around since this is my first time in this kind of festival," Lillie explained, gesturing to the boy.

"Pleasure's mine- and you must be that new trainer who Tapu Koko rescued?" Kekoa said, looking Asalie up and down with an expression that gave little away.

"Uh- yeah," Asalie articulated before turning to Lillie- who had a blue lei around her neck and holding several knick-knacks. "Looks like you've been hitting the games for a while, huh?"

"Actually, Kekoa won these but said I could have them," Lillie admitted sheepishly. "I couldn't win a single game so far..."

Asalie actually felt something crack in her at that, upper expression shadowed and mouth twitching in a horrified smile. "No fooling...?" she said weakly.

 _NO YOU IDIOT YOU CAN'T GIVE UP THIS EASILY YOU NEED TO SHOW THAT BASTARD WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF_

"I bet we can find something to put all these in!" Asalie declared, sparkles around her face. "It'd be no good if you dropped them all or had no where to put them!"

"But she has a bag right-" Kekoa began only for Lillie to say, "Oh, of course!"

The blond shrugged and went along with them- he already had enough prizes from previous festivals, so hat as the harm of helping the professor's assistant get some herself?

* * *

As they wandered around, Asalie found that the festival was much smaller than she thought. It was mainly comprised of the village people and no one else, with makeshift prizes and vendors put together. Many people's house doors were left open so neighbors could wander freely in and out to visit others.

 _Must be a culture thing,_ she thought, frowning. _I wouldn't let a stranger even look at my house, let alone let them inside..._

Apparently, Kekoa was pretty well known around the village for being one of Professor Kukui's biggest admirers, often going to the man for information on Pokemon battling and Pokemon in general. He also admitted to giving Lillie the prizes as he wanted her to have a good time and he already had plenty of prizes for himself from previous years.

 _Great, he's even really nice and considerate!_ Asalie thought with dread and exasperation. _And I already feel bad for thinking bad about him- it's not fair!_

Eventually, they came across a basket and lid only to find that it was a prize for a memory game the vendor- a kindly old lady who was Kekoa's grandmother- had set up. There were forty cards in total and would be shown via Butterfree's psychic before they had to make as many matches as they could- prizes varied on the number of matches and the basket would need at least fifteen.

"Here, I can-" Kekoa began only for the brunette to slap down fifty pokeyen and take the chair before he had a chance to.

"Um- good luck!" Lillie offered the brunette.

Asalie didn't hear her, gray eyes focused and alert as she took in the sight of the cards- Butterfree had already used psychic to show her the positions for just a few moments before the cards returned to normal. She had to wait ten seconds after to begin the game, the old lady counting down until she barked, "START!"

Her hands moved faster than her brain, muscle memory and instinct driving her as she pulled up match after match- she only had a minute to make the matches. Before she even realized, the time limit had been reached and she had nine pairs. She got a stuffed Mimikyu doll before putting down another fifty pokeyen, sitting back down.

"Oh it's all right, Asalie," Lillie tried to tell her but Asalie was already starting another game, eyes locked on the cards.

Her hands were a blur as she pulled up the matches and by the time limit was done, she had gotten eleven pairs. She got a yellow and orange crafted flute and set down another fifty pokeyen.

"I can probably get a bag if I ask for one- there's no need for this, you know," Kekoa pointed out but this made Asalie's eyes narrow in furious concentration further. "Well okay then."

"Oh, looks like she made it."

The two turned behind to see Astin come from behind her, three different leis around his neck of white, yellow and red, a hat of grass and flowers over his cap, a stick of duck and grilled veggies in one hand and a napkin of malasada in the other. "Oh- _Alola_ Astin," she greeted him.

"Astin-! _Alola!_ " Kekoa began to exclaim before before quickly calming himself, hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hiya, Lillie, Kekoa- er, well _Alola_ ," Astin began before correcting himself and chuckling at Asalie as she set down another fifty pokeyen from only getting twelve pairs and a stick of fresh pork and grilled berries. "Yeah, don't bother trying to get her up."

"This has happened before?" Lillie inquired.

"Only every time she gets her hands on a new game. She doesn't stop until she's beaten the thing or runs out of money and/or time," the young man explained, flashing Lillie a little grin. " _Especially_ when she's playing for someone else."

Asalie set down another fifty pokeyen while Pell and Nebby munched on her pork and fruit stick, setting aside the home-made pamphlet of the Alolan islands for thirteen pairs by the doll and flute.

"You don't say?" Lillie said, watching Asalie with both fascination and apprehension.

"So this is your baby sister?" Kekoa asked the black-haired young man, looking back at the brunette for a moment with a sweat-drop. "She's certainly passionate- more than you've described her."

"You caught her at an awkward time, don't let her get to you," Astin said with a reassuring smile. "She'll be more bearable when-"

"VICTORY!" Asalie yelled, leaping off the chair with her arms up with fifteen pairs on the table before promptly turning beet red from her outburst and shrinking in her seat.

"There we go," Astin revised with a laugh as the old lady smiled broadly and handed Asalie the basket and lid while the blond looked on in amazement. "Huh. Usually people are here for dozens of turns before they get half as many as she did."

"Come back any time you like, dear- _Alola!"_ the kindly old lady chirped before winking at Kekoa. "Keep those ladies and young man out of trouble, y'hear?"

"Yes, granny," Kekoa promised with a sloppy salute to her, making Astin snicker.

"Here you go!" Asalie said triumphantly as she presented the basket and lid to the blonde.

"Um... thanks," Lillie said weakly, placing the prizes inside while Asalie stuffed her other prizes into her bag-

"NEBBY!" she cried out as the little creature began trying to gnaw at the stick itself- she quickly ran over to the vendor and scooped them into her arms, pulling the stick out of their reach.

"I told you time and time again not to wander off like that!" she scolded them, tossing the stick into a rubbish bin with while Pell settled back on Asalie's head, preening herself.

"Well, it can't be good for them to stay cooped in that bag all the time," Asalie pointed out, remembering the articles that all but screamed BRING YOUR POKEMON OUTSIDE. "You should-"

 _"You don't know anything about us, so don't speak as though you know what's best for us!"_

The brunette froze in shock at the furious retort, mouth dropping open- Pell looking up from her preening with a startled expression, Kekoa arched a surprised eyebrow and Astin wordlessly backed away from the two girls before discreetly sprinting away. Lillie panted to catch her breath, expression angry- and fearful?- before her eyes widened in shame and shock.

"I- I- I'm _so sorry_ \- you're right- I don't know what I was thinking-" she stammered, face turning red and tears of shame starting to come to her eyes.

"N-no, it's okay- it's-" Asalie tried to comfort her before mumbling lamely, "I- I'm sorry too."

 **"Pew..."** Nebby murmured sadly, gently rubbing Lillie's back with one of their appendages.

Lillie trembled a bit before she wiped away the tears in her eyes and forced a smile on her face. "Okay- _it's okay._ Today's a happy day, s-so let's have fun, okay Asalie? Pellimore?"

Asalie was speechless at the transition- more than anything, she was deeply concerned for the blonde. But she didn't get a chance to dwell as Lillie took her hand and pulled her towards the vendors.

Kekoa frowned softly at the two girls as they went away. "Well, that happened. I better go get ready for the tournament..."

* * *

"Lillie! Asa! Pell! Nebby!"

Asalie looked up from where she was nibbling a malasada (Her appetite was gone but the baked sweets were too good to resist entirely) as Hau ran over to them, Konane and a Pichu in his arms. "Hello Hau, Konane!" Lillie greeted him before seeing the Pichu squeak in his arms. "And who's this?"

"This is my new partner, Akela! Isn't she cute?" Hau introduced the Pichu, making her blush.

 **"Pew-pew!"** Nebby trilled as they reached towards the Pichu, making her duck her head into Hau's forearm.

 **"Koo-oo,"** Pell cooed to Konane in greeting.

 **"Bwark-ark!"** Konane barked happily.

 **"... chu..."** Akela mumbled.

"I didn't know you could find Pichu around here," Asalie said, not recalling seeing anything other than a few bug types like Caterpie, some Pikipek and Yungoose.

She didn't know why but whenever she saw Yongoose, she got the nigh-uncontrollable urge to kick them across the route as hard as she could.

"You can- they're just really shy," Hau said, expression softening. "Some Yongoose were trying to steal her food so Konane beat them up and we had lunch together- and now she's on my team."

Lillie gently reached out to the Pichu only for Akela to send out a bit of electricity, shocking the blonde. "Careful, she's not really comfortable being touched by anyone she doesn't know," Hau advised, gently ruffling Akela's yellow fur and making her sigh.

"Sorry..." the blonde apologized as she rubbed at the shocked skin before Asalie asked, "Is she going to fight in the tournament too?"

"Nope, she's still not comfortable battling. Anyways, Konane's got enough strength for all three of us!" Konane nodded vehemently at this while Akela looked down, face red.

"Speaking of which, I gotta get ready- it starts in half an hour!" Hau added before quickly putting down nearly a thousand pokeyen by the food vendor and picking up ten malasadas, giving one to Konane and Akela before absconding to the stage.

"Perhaps we could go watch? I'm not fond of Pokemon battles, but I would like to support Hau, Konane and Akela," Lillie suggested as she paid for two malasadas and discreetly gave one to Nebby.

"Okay. Maybe I can get some pointers from watching," Asalie agreed, buying another malasada and giving it to Pell to munch on before the tour of them followed after Hau.

"Feel free to come back again later!" the young woman running the vendor yelled after them- she chose right in selling malasadas this year and she'd be able to see her favorite cousin prove himself in battle.

Today would be a good day.

* * *

Asalie and Lillie seated themselves near the stage's back but far enough away from the torches, Pell on the former's head and the latter peeking out of the bag as much as they were able to. Meanwhile, Asalie read the pamphlet she won while Pell looked over her head, careful not to get any crumbs on the brunette's hair or pages.

Alola is an archipelago (Noun: a group of islands) with four natural islands: Melemele island, Akala island, Ula'ula island and Poni island. Each island has a Pokemon guardian deity that protects each island.

"There's more than one Tapu Koko?" Asalie wondered aloud, prompting Lillie to reply, "There is only one of each Island Deity- Tapu Lele watches over Akala Island, Tapu Bulu over Ula'Ula Island and Tapu Fini over Poni Island."

"Are they legendary Pokemon, like Moltres and whatnot?"

"From what Professor Kukui says, it would seem so."

"Huh. Do the islands all have festivals like this to celebrate them then?"

"Yes, though each island's festivals are different- while Tapu Koko and Fini's are celebrated on the Summer and Winter Solstices, Tapu Lele and Bulu's are celebrated on the Spring and Fall equinoxes."

As Lillie finished her sentence, Asalie noticed that the noise around them had all but dies down to complete silence, save the wind and the drum beats that reverberated across the entire area and through her body from the volume and strength behind each beat.

Hala walked to the center of the stage and held his arms out wide. "Once again, we have gathered to give our thanks to the guardian deity who remains by our side and guides us," he spoke, words punctuated by the beat of the drums. "For all life on our islands, and for those who undertake the island challenge with joy in their hearts- we thank and pray for your protection, for them and for Melemele. May this Pokemon battle be worthy tribute to our island's guardian- Tapu Koko!"

The drums began to speed up and Asalie shivered as Hala gestured to the left Hau as he came up to the stage, wearing a determined smile on his face. "Before you stands Hau- grandson to the kahuna," before turning to the right. "Before him stands Kekoa-"

Only no one was there.

The drummers paused in confusion, their last beat ringing in the air before it was drowned by the whispers of the crowd.

"Where's the other challenger?"

"What's going on?"

"Has anyone seen Kekoa?"

"Our guardian's not going to be pleased with this..."

"Where could he be?"

Kekoa's grandmother and cousin were both worried as they looked around. "Where could he be?" the latter wondered. "Kekoa wouldn't miss something so important..."

"Does this usually happen- challengers not showing up?" Asalie asked Lillie softly.

The blonde shook her head. "To be chosen as part of this kind of tournament is a great honor in all the islands. It's in very bad taste not to show up when they already said they'd come and it reflects badly on their families as well..."

Hala remained stoic but Hau looked worried as more people began to sound disgruntled."I bet he's not showing because the kahuna's son bribed him," a young man groused near them. "Damn favoritism.."

Before Asalie could realize just how angry that comment made her, Pell had already flung some leaves at the man- while this didn't hurt him, it did hit his head and make him yelp in surprise. "What the-?!" he began before seeing the source his eyes fell on Asalie and she paled. "What's your deal, making your Pokemon attack me?!"

But meeting Hau's concerned and confused eyes and looking back at the man who had spoken out made her take a breath and spoke for everyone to hear, "I don't know a lot about Alola, but I _do know_ that Hau wouldn't make anyone do anything they didn't want to do."

"Oh really?" the man retorted. "Prove it."

"This is not the time for such triviality!" Hala declared, getting between the two. "We must find Kekoa."

With that, the kahuna organized a search party to look around the village and another to search the first route. Asalie looked over where Kekoa's grandmother was, along with the malasada woman from before.

"I'm sure they'll find him," Astin tried to cheer them up but Asalie could see he was deeply worried as well.

Nearly an hour passed before some of the townspeople returned with Kekoa, unconscious and sporting a bloody bruise on his temple and missing his Pokemon. His grandmother and cousin ran to his side in tears while Hala helped tend to his injuries.

"How did this happen to him?" Astin asked as he looked over the male, eyes shimmering with worry.

"We found him hidden away in the bushes," one of the women in the search party for the route explained. "We couldn't find any sign of who attacked him- save this."

In her hands was a scrap of white leather and buckle with a skull emblem. "Will he be okay? Will Kekoa be okay?" the malasada lady asked, tears sliding down her face.

"This wound isn't very deep and we were able to get him treatment. We should still take him to the center in Hau'oli City for further treatment," Hala told them before calling out, "We will bring Kekoa to Hau'oli for treatment now!"

"We can take him, kahuna- you must make sure the rest will be safe, and so that our guardian deity can be appeased," Kekoa's grandmother spoke up, tone firm even with tears sliding down her face.

"I'll be back soon, Asa- _stay here!"_ Astin called to Asalie.

With that, the group along with Astin and Kekoa's relatives left post-haste. The remaining townspeople could only murmur amongst themselves with fear and concern.

"Who would attack Kekoa?"

"Why would someone do something like this?"

"This is terrible..."

"How can we show our thanks like this?"

Asalie and Lillie exchanged worried glances. "What happens now?" the brunette asked.

Hala rose to the stage. "Though a challenger cannot show up, we will do our best to show our Guardian Deity gratitude regardless! If there is anyone who is willing to battle in place of Kekoa, step forward!"

That was when Asalie realized that many people, Lillie included, were looking at her expectantly- even the man from before was as well. _Wha- they don't actually expect me to-?!_

But from the looks of it, it was blaringly obvious that they were all of the same idea that she was going to battle. She felt nauseous at the gazes all directed at her, seat beginning to pour down her temple. No no no- this is why I didn't- but even her thoughts halted because of the panic and anxiety and her eyes darted about, looking for an opening in the crowd to escape.

 **"Koo?"**

She gave a sharp gasp in surprise at a gentle nip on her ear before Pell settled on her shoulder, expression gentle. **"Koo..."** she murmured gently and the brunette felt her stomach ease just a little.

Her hand came up to the grass owl and smiled despite herself before looking at the stage. Hala's expression gave nothing away while Hau gave her an encouraging smile. She still felt anxious but much of it was already dissipating even as she walked to the stage.

"Will you fight on the behalf of not just the missing challenger but their honor as well?" the kahuna asked.

Asalie felt as though she was watching someone use her body as she stated, "I do."

"Very well then. On behalf of challenger Kekoa Lilo, Asalie Nalani- one who has met with Tapu Koko- shall take his place," Hala announced, stepping aside so she could walk onto the stage. This brought further whispers and exclamations from the crowd.

"What?!"

"What a curious creature Tapu Koko is..."

 _Oh hell, what am I gonna do?!_ Asalie thought. _I'm up here and I can't not battle but I've only battled in simulations and it's been years since-_

Pell gently pecked at her hand. **"Koo!"** she hooted determinedly, gesturing to Hau and Konane- both looked at her in surprise but more with confidence and relief.

 _What am I thinking? He's- he's our friend, they both are. So what if I lose?_

"Pellimore, Konane! Please take care of Asalie and Hau!" Lillie called.

 **"PEW!"** Nebby cheered from the bag.

Asalie swallowed the lump in her throat back as Pell fluttered down to the stage as Konane bounced out of Hau's arms to meet her. "I know this could be at a better time," the green-haired boy admitted but smiled nonetheless, "but as long as we have fun, I think we can call this a great battle!"

The brunette felt the rest of her fear and anxiety from before slip away and she smiled back at him. "You took the words right out of my mouth!"

"BEGIN!" Hala bellowed.

"Konane, use growl!"

Konane let out a musical sounding growl that made Pell grimace with reluctance to hurt her friend. "Pell, use- uh, tackle?"

The Rowlet sped towards the Popplio only for him to graceful dodge before Hau shouted, "Okay, now use water gun!"

Konane spat out water and it hit Pell square in the back- while the attack didn't hurt her as much, it still knocked her across the stage and nearly off of it completely. "Pell, are you okay?" Asalie asked in concern but the Rowlet quickly got back up.

 _Okay, think. THINK! Rowlet is a grass type, Popplio's a water type!_ Asalie thought, struggling to remember what she had studied so many years ago. _She should have a grass type attack-_ OH D'OY!

"Pell, use that attack from earlier!" Asalie exclaimed. "The one with the jerk!"

"Really?! I'm standing _right here! And it's called leafage!"_

The Rowlet obeyed and lashed out with a bundle of leaves at Konane. "Use disarming voice!" Hau called out.

Konane let out a note of sweet noise that forced the attack back so that the leaves barely scratched him while the rest smashed into Pell, knocking her back down again. "Now use water gun!" Hau ordered again.

"Use the attack from earlier again- leafage!" Asalie exclaimed.

At Konane blasted the water from his mouth, Pell managed to use the attack again, the leaves slashing through the water and even gaining strength in the meantime. The Popplio tried to dodge but some of the leaves still hit and he nearly knocked off the stage, hanging by a flipper.

"You can do it, Konane! Use pound!" Hau called out.

The Popplio's expression became determined and his back flipper flapped against the wood and propelled him straight into the air over Pell. The move was so unexpected, Asalie's mouth dropped open and was too late to call out an attack when Konane let out another disarming voice. The attack connected and Pell was knocked off the stage, unable to battle.

The townspeople clapped, though it was rather subdued.

"Phew- that was great Asalie!" Hau complimented her with a grin. "I had a blast fighting you!"

"There's no need to lie to my face, Hau," Asalie said as she picked up Pell and gave her some medicine to help her injuries. "Though, I don't feel bad I lost to you to be honest."

She really didn't- and the adrenaline from the match was surprisingly invigorating.

"It was a good battle- you used what you could and all four of you did your best," Hala told them, though his expression grave. "I can only hope that even with what has transpired tonight, that Tapu Koko-"

 **"Ko-Ko Kooooooh!**

Asalie stared up in startled surprise as the bellow echoed across the town- she remembered hearing that after she and Nebby had been saved by that creature- no, Tapu Koko.

The townspeople looked up in surprise as well, though it looked like they knew exactly who had sounded the call. "It seems that it has found this battle not wanting," Hala said, a gruff chuckle in his throat.

* * *

Can I just say that the support this story has gotten so far leaves me speechless?

Thank you so much :)

Edited: 5/25/17


	5. Chapter 5

lychee-ran: Nope, guess again.

Yes.

(Gollum voice) _You will see~ Oh yes~ You will see..._

The Palmtop Tiger: Well it makes sense considering that Hau's trained Konane in battle more than Asalie has with Pellimore.

That sounds really sweet :D

TheHolyBlade: Oh snap, the secret's out ._.

Thank you!

Cottonmouth25: Asalie's not going to hurt any Yongoose.

He really, really is :)

Anonymousloris: THANK YOU 8D

Gigarot: Well of course not- you can be with people for years and still not understand them fully. Not to mention Lillie is going to lengths so Asalie doesn't know everything about her yet.

There is method to my madness- Asalie's first actual battle in her life and years since studying weighed her down.

Oh- well, thank you!

* * *

Asalie woke up again that night- it was still dark but she could tell that the sun would be rising soon.

The battle she had with Hau, Kekoa's injured state, her time spent with Lillie- along with the blonde trying to hide her emotions- and Tapu Koko's cry swirled in her mind- the brunette finally sighed and got out of bed, finding no use to be had in trying to fall asleep again.

She could only sleep because of medication she took- any time she didn't take it before bed, she would stay awake for hours and sometimes never fall asleep until more than two days later. Thus it had been common for her to start a series on Wednesday only to finish and find that it was ten minutes to Saturday.

 **"Koo!"**

The brunette looked up to see Pell fly in before settling on the window sill and giving a little burp, bits of yellow fur under her beak. Asalie gave a little smile as she ran her fingers through the Rowlet's feathers and gently throwing the fur away, making her coo happily.

"I'm sorry about last night," she said softly. "I spent all that time with you and I didn't bother to help you learn how to fight- it never crossed my mine even once."

Pell leaned into her touch, gaze gentle.

"Man, I must have looked like a real idiot- type advantage and everything and I-"

She broke off with a weak and sarcastic chuckle. The Rowlet moved from her hand and flew onto her shoulder, gently nuzzling against her face. **"Koo..."**

Asalie smiled weakly despite herself. "Thanks, Pellimore. I'll make sure that doesn't happen again," she said, Kekoa's unconscious form flashing before her eyes.

With that, she turned on her computer and pulled up the old files she used in school- specifically the ones of type advantage and battle theory. Pell settled on her lap as the brunette began to reading through them and taking notes. By the time the sun was breaking across the horizon, Asalie finished writing and was setting her notebook down when she heard a knock on the front door.

"Good morning, Asalie, Pellimore!" Lillie greeted the two of them outside the porch.

"Hey Lillie," the brunette replied back with a tired smile before giving a little wave to Nebby from where they peeked out of Lillie's bag. "What's up?"

"Well, Professor Kukai told me to bring you to his lab," the blonde explained. "He said that he's got your pokedex all touched up."

Asalie's mouth gaped again before she slapped her own face to snap herself out of it. "I still can't believe he wants me to have a _pokedex."_

"Well, I can- you've only just started out, but I think you'll be a great trainer," Lillie said with a smile before pointing at the other end of the route. "I'll take you there once you're ready to leave."

"Gotcha- just lemme get some things."

Asalie got her things together, threw on her shirt, shorts, hat and bag- stuffing her notebook and a spare in as well- before closing her window and door and locked the front door behind her. "All right then- let's go!" Asalie announced with a little smile.

Lillie nodded and with that, the two of them headed down the route.

As they got near the tall grass, Lillie pulled out a can and sprayed a foul smelling liquid around them. Pell sneezed at the stuff in the air and Asalie gagged before covering her mouth with her hand.

"Sorry- I'm not a trainer so I always use repels," Lillie said as they walked further in, Nebby peeking out of her bag forlornly. Asalie looked at him with a soft frown before Lillie began to speak again.

"About yesterday... Nebby- well, they're an incredibly rare Pokemon called Cosmog who came from far, far away. They have a strange power- Nebby's used it twice now, once to save me when I was in danger, and again on the Plank Bridge."

Lillie's grip on the strap tightened to the point of turning her knuckles white. "There are... people who want to use Nebby's power for themselves- so I took Nebby from them and escaped. That's why Professor Kukai, his wife and kahuna Hala are the only ones who know- not even Hau knows yet."

Asalie was silent as she took this in but inside her head was swirling while shock and anxiety were both making pits in her belly.

 _I figured Nebby was unusual, but I didn't think that they'd be pursued by- whoever these people are!_ she thought. _No wonder Lillie's been so adamant about me keeping what happened on the bridge and keeping anyone from seeing Nebby._

"I won't tell anyone- I promise," Asalie said, gripping Lillie's hand in what she hoped was a reassuring way before she blurted, "If those people come after you, then- then I'll protect you!"

 _ARCEUS ALMIGHTY WHY DID I SAY THAT I CAN'T EVEN WIN WITH TYPE ADVANTAGE HOW CAN I TAKE ON ROCKET-ESQUE ASSHOLES_

"Asalie, you don't need to go that far," Lillie told her. "The Professor and kahuna will be able to sort things out."

"Well, I want to!"

 _NO YOU DON'T_

"I want to help you, Lillie!"

 _STOP MAKING PROMISES THAT YOU CAN'T KEEP_

"So, I'll do what I can for you when I can."

Lillie looked at with wide eyes before her sad smile returned. "We should keep going," she said, pulling the brim of her hat over her face as she continued walking.

Asalie struggled to keep her expression neutral but Kekoa's unconscious form was forefront in her mind and the anxiety and fear were becoming almost too much to bear. She gave a small sigh and weakly face-palmed herself.

 _Way to go, Fuck-up McDumbass,_ she thought before following the blonde. _Let's see if today can get worse, shall we?_

* * *

(BANG CRASH SMASH POW BAM)

 _"OH YEAH, ROCKRUFF! LET'S GO! GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT! MY BODY IS READY- WOO!"_

"NOPE!" Asalie declared as she immediately began to back-track only for Lillie to pull her back, hurriedly explaining, "It's all right- this is normal!"

 **"RAAAA-OOOOOOHHH! RAFF RUFF!"**

"What is he even doing in there?!" Asalie shrieked the question. "Didn't you say he has a wife?!"

"He's just playing with Rockruff- he always yells like this whenever he's trying to gauge and try out new attacks from Pokemon," she explained before her expression became tired. "From the sounds of things, he'll have already ripped his labcoat up and I'll have to mend it and I'm awful with stitching so we'll have to buy a whole new labcoat- and we might have to patch some more holes inside as well- I know this because I've been imposing on the professor for the last three months..."

 _"AWWWW YEEEEAAAHHH!"_

"We should probably go inside now- before they do any more damage," Lillie sighed as she pulled a disturbed Asalie into the lab, trying fruitlessly to dig her heels into the sand. _"Nonononono-"_

The very, very few hentai she had been fortunate/unfortunate to lay eyes on were racing through the brunette's mind as she entered the house to find it- looking relatively normal for a lab? Save the patches in the woodwork, the sheer amount of dumbells and punching bags and the small bar in the back.

Kukai was completely bare-chested with his labcoat, glasses and hat sitting on one the chairs and wearing only criminally tight work out pants and boxing gloves with his upper body covered in bruises, fur and sweat.

The brunette's mouth dropped open. _"Ah-ha-ha-"_ she rasped weakly, finger pointing almost accusatory.

"Hey there, Asalie- thanks for getting her for me, Lillie!" Kukai greeted them cheerily before swallowing down most of his water bottle and splashing the rest of it onto his head.

Asalie's brain promptly short-circuited.

* * *

 _Thirty minutes later..._

* * *

"Oh Mew, what happened?" Asalie groaned as she came to- she was resting on a futon mattress on the ground by a tank of Luvdisc.

 **"Koo-koo!"** Pell hooted as she flew onto Asalie's lap, looking at the brunette with concern.

"Asalie, are you all right?" Lillie exclaimed when she saw the other girl had woken up.

"I guess... did anything while my brain short-circuited?" she asked, running her fingers through the Rowlet's feathers.

"Not really- luckily, the professor and Rockruff didn't cause too much damage, save one of the shelves crashing into the bar in the back," the blonde explained as she gave Asalie a glass of water. "Are you sure you're all right? I don't think I've ever seen someone faint in front of the professor before."

"... you say you've been living with him for three months now?" Asalie asked as she swallowed half the glass before setting it back down.

"Yes- I don't see what that has to do with anything, though."

 _Constant exposure to him must have made her impervious to his unconscious/conscious roguish wiles,_ Asalie immediately theorized. _That or she's even more sheltered than I gave her credit for._

"Hey Asalie!"

The brunette felt sweat break out at the professor's voice but luckily, he was wearing his glasses, hat and lab coat again. "You doing better now? Sorry about the mess- Rockruff's moves were so stylin' and I was making so much progress with my research, it went longer than I thought it would."

Asalie could only nod weakly, massaging her temple with her free hand.

"Anyways, I've got your pokedex all finished- have a look!" Kukai told her, revealing that the pokedex from before was somehow _floating_.

 **"Pew- pew?"** Nebby trilled.

 **"Ko-koo?!"** Pell squawked in surprise.

 **"Rotom-tom an' all that jazz!"**

Asalie and Pell both froze at the new voice before their heads turned to face-

 **"Screee?!"**

 _"The fuck?"_ Asalie exclaimed in confusion and apprehension- the pokedex was TALKING LIKE A PERSON HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE

"This is the Rotom-Dex!" Kukai declared with a grin. "It catalogs Pokemon's species, types, moves and other stuff, a personal map, internet access- with child safety turned on- and has a great sense of humor!"

"Rotom is a special Pokemon that can take up residence in machines and take on characteristics of said machine- like a freezer, mashing machine, oven, fan or mower," Lillie explained.

 **"Glad ta meetcha, toots!"** Rotom-Dex chirped. **"Gentle on the goods now, 'kay?"**

Asalie's mouth was ajar, coherent speech beyond the brunette's current state. " _Hgsgsnfjme,"_ she got out. Pell's eyes narrowed dangerously at Rotom-Dex, feathers ruffling up as she lowered her head and spread her wings in anticipation.

 **"Yeesh, aren't you friendly,"** Rotom-Dex snarked. **"Hey toots, pick your jaw off the ground before a Ribombee flies in."**

"Rotom can talk in this form-and it looks like they've taken a liking to you!" Kukai explained, giving her a thumbs up.

"I'M NOT READY TO TAKE CARE OF ANOTHER LIVING BEING," Asalie announced/yelled, expression robotic.

 **"Rude- I'm right here, toots!"**

"It'll be okay- I wouldn't be entrusting you with this and them if I didn't think you couldn't handle it," Kukai told her gently. "They're here primarily to help show you around Alola, since you're new here.

"Bu-but-!" Asalie rasped before clearing her throat. "Professor, I don't think this is a good idea! I mean, what if someone tries to steal it?!"

 **"I'm perfectly capable of kicking ass and taking names, thank you very much!"**

"Please don't fight," Lillie gently pleaded. "Asalie, Rotom is a strong Pokemon and they're able to defend themselves- they'll be fine by your side."

Pell still kept her gaze narrowed at Rotom-Dex who stuck their tongue out at her. "But..." Asalie protested weakly.

 _I DON'T WANT THAT THING LOOKING AT EVERYTHING I'M TRYING TO SEARCH ESPECIALLY-_

Lillie frowned sadly and Asalie tried to get out something to say but the blonde was already pulling herself up on the loft in the back. "Aw geez..." she groaned in despair.

"Hey now, it'll be okay- Lillie just needs some time to herself," Kukai told her, clapping the brunette on the back.

 **"Yo, you gonna check me out or what?!"** Rotom-Dex snapped.

"Uh, I guess..." Asalie sighed and the Rotom-Dex floated into her hands.

It looked like an I-Pad and her fingers gently tapped the screen and it showcased their location, as well as the surrounding route and nearby city. Looking over it's other apps, Asalie found a training manual as well as an internet connection option and even a phone app.

"Wow, this is really versatile," she said, honestly impressed.

 **"Not too shabby am I, toots?"** Rotom-Dex said proudly. **"I could even hook up with any computers you've got on you or at home if I have to!"**

"Seriously?! That's awesome!"

 **"I could do even more if you switch off 'child safety'- I even got the cheat codes so once we're clear-"**

Asalie immediately shoved them into her bag, Pell glaring at it hard enough to smolder if she had the power, not liking this new development one bit. "Okay, does Rotom-Dex require food or...?"

"Nope," Kukai answered. "Well, they can eat but they don't actually need to- all they need is electricity."

"Okay. Do they need maintenance or-?"

"I've got an instruction pamphlet right here!" the professor said, giving her the booklet along with a toolkit she put into her bag as well. "Does it help they're in a machine?"

"... a little," Asalie admitted before adding, "Okay, it helps a lot. I'm still getting used to this whole... Pokemon thing."

"It's okay, I getcha," Kukai assured her gently. "When I first became a trainer, I had a hard time too."

Kukai gently placed a hand on the glass of the tank. "I started out in Kanto because of the stories of the powerful trainers that came from there- me and my starter were away from everything we knew. At times, we were amazed, others we were confused, sometimes we were scared. We lost more battles than we won and eventually came back to Alola- I was still passionate about battling but I realized that my path would be different from a Pokemon trainer."

"Is that why you became a Pokemon professor?" Asalie asked.

"Yeah- like this, I can still have great battles and I can show others how to have them too!"

The brunette smiled a bit at the professor's cheer and Pell flew back onto her head, much more composed.

"It's _hard_ to be a trainer- hard to make a living out of it, hard to keep up the lifestyle and it's especially hard caring for Pokemon," Kukai went on. "Not many are able to live exclusively as a trainer- so that doesn't mean you have to make a living by battling just because you have Pokemon. There are so many things you're able to do- having Pokemon can hinder or help you depending on too many factors to name."

Asalie's gaze softened. In Kanto, being a trainer was like going through puberty- everyone was expected to be one or go through the phase. Hell, one of the biggest reasons Asalie hid herself away in the first place had been because of the pressure of becoming a trainer and not wanting to be put through something like that.

But here, being a trainer was like an afterthought- people were able to spend time wondering, contemplating and being by their sides without that pressure, without needing to be strong or the very best- just like she and Pell had.

Yet at the same time, she remembered Kekoa's unconscious form, the bloody bruise on his head, his missing Pokemon, as well as nearly falling into the river when Nebby blew apart the Plank Bridge, being all but helpless against the Spearow.

"Professor Kukai, could you give me pointers for battling?"

"Sure- I've got a chip with a bunch of tips if you wanna borrow it," Kukai offered before asking, "Why the sudden change of mind?"

"Kekoa was a trainer and he still got hurt and his Pokemon stolen," the brunette voiced her fear for the first time as she opened up her bag and Rotom-Dex floated out ( **"Offer's still on the table!"** ). "Even though I have Pell, it's stupid to think that's enough to keep something like that from happening to me. I need to be ready so that doesn't happen and even if it does, I'm able to come back from it."

Kukai's expression softened and he ruffled her hair beneath the hat as he began to transfer the data to the Rotom-Dex. "Kekoa's going to be okay- and we've already informed the police and they're on the lookout. Your Astin hasn't left his side even once yet. And I have a great way to help you get stronger- but first-"

"A-lo-la~" Hau's voice came from behind, making her yelp in surprise. "The salty breeze sang to me and brought me here to you- actually, I just came to see hwo everyone's doing!"

"Good to see you, Hau- come in!" Kukai greeted him cheerfully and the green-haired boy came, eyes wide as he looked around. "Is that a loft?! Awesome! I wish I had one!"

"Please get away from here- it's private, Hau!" Lillie exclaimed from above.

"Oops! Sorry Lillie- whoa, cool! Is that a Rotom inside the pokedex?!" Hau apologized before seeing the Rotom-Dex. "It looks kinda cute!"

 _ **"Your face is cute!"**_

"Whoa- it can talk! And thanks!"

 **"D'aw, thank _you!"_**

"Okay, you're both here!" Kukai clapped his hands together. "Now we can get down to business!"

"As you both know, Alola doesn't have a league or gym leaders- rather, we have an island challenge of sorts. On each island there is a select number of trial captains that oversee certain tests for each challenger to face. These can be anything from trivia to searching to scavenger hunts to even dancing- they all depend on the trial captain. This isn't dependent on strength alone but it's still a good chance to get training in!"

Hau smiled and Asalie's eyes widened- this, honestly sounded within her realm of expertise. She once got perfect scores for Pokemon types and battle theory in school and she was good enough at games that she got some of the highest scores online.

"After you finish each island trial that an island has, you're eligible to challenge the kahuna of that island- of course, you can move onto other islands to do their challenges without fighting the kahuna, buut it's easier in the long run if you get their approval through battle. Hau and Asalie, you two might have started recently, but I think you both can draw out your Pokemon's full potential."

"Hau I get, but me? _I lost with type advantage!"_ Asalie put in.

"Aw come on! That was your very first battle and I had been training with Konane longer!" Hau exclaimed. "Don't be so hard on yourself, okay? I think you've got a great chance!"

"He's right- you just need some more confidence, yeah!" Kukai agreed before presenting her with a strange amulet but with a cord too short to go around the neck or even the wrist. "This'll show you're taking the island challenge, if you choose to."

Asalie hesitated for a moment but meeting Pell's gaze and the Rowlet nodding to her, the brunette accepted the amulet and clipped it onto her bag's strap.

"I got one from tutu already," Hau said gesturing to the amulet on his backpack.

"Now if you're still feeling unsure, you can always take up residence in the Pokemon School in Hau'oli City," Kukai suggested. "They've got plenty of classes on Pokemon battling and you'll be sure to find students and teachers itching for a fight. Hey Lillie!"

"Erk!"

Lillie had already been climbing down the ladder but the professor's voice surprised her and made her lose her balance before regaining it. "Yes professor?"

"Be sure to take of Asalie, yeah? Until she gets used to Alola a bit more, I'm counting on you to help her find her way around!"

Kukai gave Asalie a little wink and Rotom began drawling, **"Can you feel the loooove toniiiight~"** before Asalie stuffed them back into her bag.

"Um, shall we go then?" Lillie suggested, putting on a determined smile.

Asalie could only nod as Rotom cackled inside her bag before Pell gave a kick to them from the side.

* * *

"So, that's it."

Ashwin nodded vaguely after Asalie finished explaining everything to him- the sun was already setting and she had come back home with Lillie.

"Are you sure you're up for this? I know you've been hesitant in the past to be a trainer," he asked gently.

"Well, that was then in Kanto," Asalie said, "and this is now in Alola. It's not the same anymore. I... I really want to try!"

Pell gently cooed, expression gentle as she adjusted herself on Asalie's head. Ashwin honestly didn't know what to say- Astin was still with Kekoa and he was all but swamped with work. Now his baby girl would be heading out into the world, into a region she barely knew.

"And I'm not gonna be alone," Asalie added quickly. "Lillie, Hau, Professor Kukai, Pellimore and even this Rotom-Dex," at that she opened her bag and Ashwin nearly fell out of his chair as the pokedex with a face floated out.

 **"'sup, Mr. Asalie's dad? I'm the Rotom Dex and I aim to please!"** Rotom chirped. **"I'll make sure she'll be safe- believe it!"**

Ashwin winced at the sheer terribleness of the last bit but he couldn't help the laughter at that. "Here- I've got something for you, one sec!"

He went to his bag and pulled out a wad of bills and handed them to Asalie. "I've already given Astin some and now it's your turn- try not to spend this all in one go, okay, star?"

Asalie's eyes widened at the amount of money in her hands but quickly pocketed it. "Thank you so much!"

The older man's smile became softer as he looked at his youngest child. Moving to Alola had brought a whirlwind of change to them all- but seeing Asalie like this had taken the cake.

He was proud, terrified and sad all at once and he pulled the brunette into a tight hug. "Call me at least once a week."

"Okay."

"Go at your own pace- don't feel like you're on a time crunch because you're not."

"Got it."

"You can always come home if things don't work out."

"Right."

The older man's lip trembled and tears beaded his eyes as he kissed her forehead. Asalie kissed his cheek gently, trying to hold her tears back as well.

Pell smiled softly at the scene while Rotom-Dex bawled. The two withdrew, father and daughter looking back at one another before the former let go. "Well," he said, sniffling a bit as tears and some snot ran down his face, "have a great journey."

Asalie nodded back, not trusting herself to speak. She got her bag, a change of clothes and her team before heading out to meet Lillie. The two remained silent as they made it to the Pokemon Center in Hau'oli City. It was only when they had checked into a room for the night and got in said room when Asalie started crying in earnest- Pell, Rotom-Dex, Lillie and Nebby stayed by her side until she had fallen asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Savitron:5: :)

TheHolyBlade: Huh. I didn't think I made the chapter THAT tearjerking. I must have done a better job than I thought ._.

Gigarot: It's kind of hard NOT to make a plasma Pokemon residing in the Holy Grail of Pokemon knowledge and technology not interesting ^^;

Asalie's been put through a lot of change, so anyone would feel overwhelmed.

Cottonmouth25: Heh, thank you :D

RandomReader: ... you're making me blush.

Wait, really? That's how it's spelled?

I'm keeping it "Kukai"- it too strange for me to write "Kukui" ^^;

* * *

When Asalie woke up, she had found herself in a human-Pokemon pile on the floor, blankets and pillow underneath and around them. At first, she had been both terrified and elated when she found Lillie sleeping beside her, then she was confused when she saw Rotom-Dex and then the previous day came rushing back to her.

 _That was sporadic- even by my standards,_ Asalie thought before remembering her goodbye with Ashwin. _Though I don't think I would have gotten on the road if I hadn't..._

She was about to get up only to realize that Lillie had fall asleep on her- and her sleeping face was far from peaceful, pinched in a grimace. Asalie frowned softly and reached towards her face only to stop and lower it to her shoulder so she could gently shake the blonde awake.

"Mmrph..." Lillie mumbled, eyes fluttering open and settling on Asalie's face. "Huh...?"

"Morning, sunshine," Asalie couldn't help remarking with a weak smile.

Lillie rubbed at her eyes- looking adorable while doing so- and yawned as her arms stretched themselves out. "Oh my... I don't think I checked into my own room last night," she realized rather sheepishly.

"Sorry-" Asalie began but Lillie shook her head, smiling gently at her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "You helped me, it only makes sense to help you back."

"... yeah..." the brunette said back, gray locked into chartreuse. "Lillie-"

 **"Wake up in th' mornin', feelin' like P-Diddy~"** Rotom-Dex sang as they came to, Pell giving a disgruntled hoot at being woken in such a manner. **"Grab ma glasses, I'm out th' door, I'm gonna hit-"**

Their lyrics were cut off midway as Nebby actually levitated a pillow to drop right on them. **"Pew..."** they muttered as they snuggled against Lillie.

"... really?" Asalie deadpanned at Rotom Dex while Lillie just looked adorably befuddled before picking up the pillows and sheets and remaking the beds the best she could.

 **"Hey, it was my first night on the job toots- cut me some slack!"**

Pell all but glowered at them as she preened her feathers the best she could. "Well, we should get ready- Trainer School is going to start in thirty minutes," Lillie pointed out, glancing at the clock- it read eight forty-five AM.

"Right," the brunette sighed as she straightened her clothes, hat and hair the best she could- she had fallen asleep in her clothes and they weren't wrinkled too badly.

"Do you want to visit Kekoa before we leave?" the blonde asked as she brushed her hair.

Asalie brushed her teeth hastily and spat out the paste before nodding. After the two of them finished cleaning up, they went to the receptionist.

* * *

"Here we are."

The Trainer School was a large compound with gardens with tall grass where Asalie spotted some wild Pokemon, two concrete battlefields and an enormous building with three levels. From the looks of it, there weren't just offices and classrooms but dorms and living quarters as well.

However, there was something else that occupied her attention- that being the Tauros mere yards from them down the street.

"Don't worry- that Tauros always gets loose around the city," Lillie told her rather off-handily. "Someone will come take care of it soon enough."

"... how often does that happen?" Asalie asked, voice high pitched.

"Roughly three times a week- why?"

The brunette resisted the over-whelming urge to face palm and followed Lillie into the school.

 **"So, do the trainers come to school to learn? Or do the trainers do the teaching?"** Rotom-Dex wondered aloud.

"That's actually a really good question," Asalie conceded as a teacher approached them.

"Hello Lillie- and you must be Asalie Nalani?" she greeted the brunette. "Professor Kukai told me you'd be visiting the school- he also asked me to give this to you."

With that, the teacher gave her what could only be described as a black crown with yellow beads. "What... what is this?" she asked, confused.

"That is the latest model of the Experience Share," the teacher explained. "When turned on, it distributes half of the experience that a Pokemon gains to any other Pokemon on your current team. It's instrumental to raising several Pokemon's power at once."

Asalie looked at the crown in amazement before saying, "Could you tell Professor Kukai that I really appreciate this?"

"Of course," the teacher said with a smile before gesturing them forward. "Come on- I'll show you around.

The two girls followed her inside, though a strange noise made Asalie pause and look over towards the tall grass before she kept going.

 **"Bzz..."**

* * *

The teacher- Emily- showed them the various classrooms located on the first floor.

"Along with Pokemon and all the classes around said subject, we also teach our students medicine, tracking, the history behind Alola, science and mathematics, as well as language classes."

They moved up the the next floor.

"We have three levels of grades for the students, third is for beginners, second is middle ground and first is for the more accomplished- rather than advancing up once per year, you advance due to your knowledge and ability to put it into practice. That's why you'll find that some children are younger in the first class while there are still some teenagers in the third class."

Emily gestured to the upper third floor. "The dormitories and living quarters are on the third floor- I'd give you a tour but neither of you are students registered here, so this will be as far as we go for now."

"It's okay- we're staying at the Pokemon Center right now," Asalie replied.

"Of course- now here for you are two class passes," Emily said, handing each girl a pass. "You can use these to sit on on classes- just try not to disrupt anyone when you enter."

"Got it."

With that, the two girls settled in one of the classrooms, Asalie never noticing the eye on her from outside the window.

 **"Bzz..."**

* * *

For the next few weeks, Asalie and Lillie had a regular schedule put together- wake up in the morning, have breakfast at the Center Cafe, head to the Trainer School and learn what they could about Pokemon. They were also able to visit Kekoa, who was slowly but surely recovering- he was more worried for his team and was frustrated he couldn't do anything other than wait.

Astin was also visiting whenever he could, rather put out and surprised that Asalie was doing the Island Challenge. Regardless he had been happy for her and promised to do what he could for her- also while being there for Kekoa.

Hindsight was 20/20, Asalie knew- she hoped that they would make each other happy.

While Lillie didn't do much besides study, Asalie had quickly gotten the attention of students who already had Pokemon- two preschoolers named Mia and Joey who had a Bonsley and Metapod respectively, an athletic girl named Hiromi who had a Pikipek and a first-class student and self-proclaimed "Rising Star" named Joseph who had-

"Why does Grimer look so strange?" Asalie immediately asked when Joseph brought out "Gonzo". "It's not shiny but it's got a different color scheme, and it's got teeth-!"

"Oh right, you're not from around here, are you?" Joseph remembered, eyebrow cocked. "But you can still recognize a Grimer- where'd you come from?"

"I moved here from Kanto recently."

"Isn't that the other side of the world?" Mia asked.

"... yes."

"Mia," Hiromi gently scolded the younger girl, "don't be so tactless."

"Wow, what's Kanto like?! I heard they've got a buncha strong trainers there!" Joey exclaimed.

"I guess? I was never really interested in trainers when I lived there."

"I heard that there's this one guy who stayed for years on a super cold mountain just to train his Pokemon- and he was a kid like us!" the boy went on, eyes sparkling.

Asalie blinked, the only trainer that could fit that description was someone even she knew about- Red.

* * *

The boy who had left Pallet Town with Professor Oak's first version of the pokedex alongside said professor's parental grandson, Blue. The two boys had been friends turned rivals in their journey, trying to beat gym leaders and fill the pokedex up.

But everything changed after Team Rocket reared it's head.

Little was known about the criminal Underground of Kanto and the only reason anyone knew of Team Rocket was because Red had defeated them time and time again they had shown themselves, bringing to light their nefarious deeds. Hell, no one even knew that the final gym leader and respected scholar on ground Pokemon, Giovanni Sekai, had been running Team Rocket from the shadows for decades.

Afterwards, he swept the Elite Four and the ten-minute champion Blue before disappearing- presumably to find stronger opponents.

* * *

All four children had been going to the Trainer School for some time now, Hiromi being the oldest among them. She was planning on taking on a career in tennis and possibly baseball once she finished school here and was planning on hiring a coach once she got enough money. Joey and Mia had no plans outside of evolving their Pokemon- both who had gotten them from a late grandparent. Joseph meanwhile, was planning on becoming a ranger and helping protect Pokemon from poachers.

As Asalie sat on in more lessons, she took down notes in her notebook and even cross-referenced them using the internet on Rotom-Dex. It was strange to have someone who knew what her internet history was (she made sure not to let any of her more... _curious searches,_ ever touch Rotom-Dex's database) and some of their commentary was better off somewhere else, she grew used to both the more she used Rotom-Dex.

In the meantime, the brunette also polished her battling skills alongside Pell- with a determination to become stronger on both of their parts and the four kids who were more than willing to do battle with her and give advice on the subject matter.

Pell grew stronger, faster and more agile as she continued training, taking cues from Hiromi's Pikipek as the two were both bird-like Pokemon, as well as the different excersises that Hiromi constructed herself. She also helped make exercises for Asalie to follow to help her grow stronger as well.

Joey and Mia both helped Asalie review what kinds of medicine were best to use and within price range, as they had to learn this first before ever getting their own Pokemon. They also showed how to change bandages when there were jo Pokemon centers and how best to apply berries when a Pokemon was unable to eat them.

Joseph showed her how to boot up TMs, or Technical Machines, to teach Pokemon certain moves. Much to Asalie's happy surprise, TMs had become made with the same material as HMs, or hidden moves, and could be taught over and over again without breaking. He even gave her the TM for Work up, which could increase a Pokemon's attack and special attack a whole stage at once.

Emily was especially helpful, further explaining regional variants. "Alola prospered because of the people who lived here and those who migrated to our islands- the Pokemon who were brought here from other regions centuries ago began to change to suit their new habitat- Joseph's Grimer is a regional variant that's poison/dark."

Asalie's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you saying that some Pokemon changed typing and form changed just from coming to Alola?!"

"There are plenty of other Pokemon whose typing and form changed in other regions- but Alola's are more drastic and easier to spot than most others," Emily explained.

During all of this, Asalie had also felt like someone or something had been watching her- but whenever she turned around or tried to investigate, she found nothing.

( **"Bzz..."** she heard faintly from the grass.)

At one point, they had a visitor to the school that would further explain a phenomenon Asalie had forgotten about for nearly two months.

* * *

 _WHY ARE THERE SO MANY ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE IN THIS REGION_

 **"What a dreamboat~!"** Rotom-Dex sighed, Asalie nodding weakly in agreement.

He/she/they had pink hair, gentle gray eyes, a sweater vest, white dress shirt and slacks and had a hand protector on their left hand. "Greetings! Captain Ilima here," the person said with a gentle smile.

At that, the children swarmed to meet the trial captain, voices over-lapping and Ilima welcomed them all forward with a smile that could melt chocolate.

"Wow! A trial captain!"

"So cool!"

"Hello Captain Ilima!"

"Can you show us your Z-Move?!"

"Pretty please?!"

"'Z-Move'?" the brunette repeated, confused. She had yet to hear what that was.

At that, Ilima noticed her and they gently said to the children, "Pardon me," and they all moved so the Trial Captain could approach her.

"You must be Asalie- I've heard good things about you from Professor Kukai," they said, holding their hand out her to shake- she did so, feeling something round and cool against the protector that turned warm and began to shine against her palm.

"Whoa, what's that?!" the younger children exclaimed.

"Oh...?" Ilima murmured, eyes glancing to Asalie's bag. She followed their gaze and saw part of her bag was glowing as well _._

"What the-?" she said in surprise before opening her bag to find the source.

As she ruffled through it, the brunette felt the stone from when she had been saved by Tapu Koko and pulled it out. It had become warm and glowed brightly just like Ilima's, though theirs had a beige tone to the glow.

"How on earth-?"

"May I ask where you got this?" Ilima asked.

"I-I got this from Tapu Koko- it saved me-"

 **"No fooling?"** Rotom-Dex remarked.

"YOU MET WITH TAPU KOKO?!" Joseph's yell came over the other children's exclamations as they swarmed around Asalie as well.

"Children, please settle down!" Emily tried to speak over their voices and stop crowding the trial captain and brunette.

* * *

An hour and a half later, the children were finally calmed down and Asalie explained what she could while keeping Nebby a secret, though Rotom-Dex watched her knowingly.

"I see now," Ilima mused, looking at the stone on his ( _Aw_ , Asalie had thought once it was confirmed) hand. "This stone is the kind that I have, only it's uncarven."

"Okay- but what's so special about it in the first place?"

"This stone is used to hold Z-Crystals, which can be used to power Z-Moves."

"Wha-"

At that, Ilima brought out a- what she assumed was the evolution of Yungoose- and he performed a... dance? His hands crossed in front of one another to make an x before he shot them out on either side before forwards together. Then he lowered himself as she spread his arms out diagonally before setting each forearm against his forehead and chest.

"... uh-"

 **"Gumshoos- Breakneck Blitz."**

Once it was finished, beige light surrounded Gumshoos and it shot forward- leaving behind a visible trail of dust and indents in the ground- and smashed into a stray tree. The attack uprooted the tree and sent it flying across the horizon until it disappeared.

 _"ARCEUS FUCK!"_ Asalie shrieked in surprise and disbelief, Pell nearly falling off of her head in shock.

 _"Language!"_ Emily snapped sternly while the students cheered in amazement and Rotom-Dex whistled in amazement.

"This special stone is carved so it can hold Z-Crystals- if a Pokemon knows a move the same type as the Z-Crystal, they are able to use a special attack of tremendous power," Ilima explained as he returned Gumshoos to it's poke-ball.

Asalie stared at the stone in her hand with both wariness and amazement- but most wariness.

 _I had something like that on me for- for nearly two months..._

"If you'd like, I could carve the stone out so it can hold Z-Crystals as well," Ilima suggested.

"... I think I'm good," Asalie got out. "I don't think I can trust myself with something like this."

The trial captain regarded her with a curious look before shrugging. "To each their own. All of the trial captains are capable of carving out the stone so you can ask any of us should you change your mind."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I've also noticed you've only got one Pokemon in your team so far," Ilima said, looking at Pell. "If you'd like, you can search the tall grass by the gardens, as well as in the other patches of grass in Hau'oli City, for another teammate."

"Uh, I'm not so sure about that," Asalie said with a frown. "I only just started out and I'm nervous about getting another team member so quickly."

Ilima shrugged again. "Very well then- but if you change your mind, feel free to search then. But be careful of the wet paint- Smeargle and I are sometimes asked to paint the gates if the color fades or gets chipped."

With that, the trial captain left the school. Asalie rubbed her head a bit, still dumbstruck at the previous display of sheer power. Pell flew by her side, looking at the brunette with concern while Rotom-Dex sighed dreamily.

 **"Man, if only I had a body, I'd-"**

"PLEASE DON'T GO ON," Asalie said robotically.

Rotom-Dex rolled their eyes and stuck their tongue out before retreating to her bag as the school bell rang, signalling the end of the break period- the children went back inside and Asalie was about to follow them when she realized they were missing someone.

"Pl-please leave me alone!"

Asalie froze as she heard Lillie's voice by the school- she ran to the gateway to see two- punks?- with blue hair, who had cornered Lillie against the wall.

"Yo, we just wanna see what Pokemon you've got, Princess," one of the punks pressed, leaning against his elbow over her.

"Yeah, just hand 'em over and no body gets hurt, ya dig?" the other said, reaching for his poke-ball.

 _"Hey!"_ Asalie barked, pushing one of the punks away from Lillie before quickly shielding the blonde as Pell flew by her side. _"Back off, jack-asses!"_

"Aw, whatta we have here? Tryin' to play the hero, toots?" the first sneered.

"Or is she your girlfriend or somethin'?" the second asked.

Asalie's teeth gritted together, a growl in her throat as she kept Lillie from their sight. The two punks started waving their hands around for some reason before one of them paused and looked at Pell. "Yo, ain't that-?"

"That's a starter Pokemon, yo!" the other exclaimed. "Now we _gotta_ get in on this!"

With that, each punk sent out a Zubat each- Asalie felt sweat on her temple, knowing she had two opponents who had two type advantages over her one Pokemon. But like hell she was going to back down.

"Pell, use leafage!" she ordered and Pell shot out the leaves at both Zubats like a tornado- it might not do a lot of damage but it would hit them both and it would make them keep their distance.

"Yo, watch it! Zubat, use supersonic!" the punk snapped.

"Second verse, same as the first, Zubat!" the other echoed.

The two Zubats sent out waves of bizarre energy towards Pell. "Pell, keep using leafage!" Asalie ordered.

The Rowlet sent out another attack, disrupting the supersonic attack- but the other still hit her, making her wince in surprise and halt the attack. Pell tried to make sense of the world but the supersonic was wreaking havoc on her senses.

"Come on, snap out of it, Pell!" Asalie shouted to the Rowlet only for her to fly right into the wall.

"Ha! Looks like you were all bark and no bite, girlie!"

"Can't even use Pokemon right, can ya toots?"

"You- _you shut your mouths!"_ Lillie exclaimed in anger. _"Asalie's a better trainer than you hooligans could ever hope to be!"_

The two punks laughed at this and Lillie felt Asalie shift so there was more space between them.

"Lillie, I'm about to do something _really_ stupid that you should never copy under any circumstances- just get to Emily and tell her what's going on," the brunette murmured to her. "Okay?"

"But-" the blonde tried to protest only for Asalie to run right at one of the punks and punch him in the jaw as hard as she could, using her weight as leverage to knock them both to the ground.

"What th'-?!" the first punk shrieked as Asalie's hand hit him as hard as she could. "You're wack, girl!"

"GO!" Asalie yelled and Lillie ran as fast as she could to the school.

"Yo, get back here!" the second punk yelled as he began to pursue her only for Pell to ram into one of his legs and make him sprawl against the street.

However, the punk got the upper hand when he kneed Asalie in the stomach before backhanding her off of him. Before she could scramble away, he tackled her to the ground, knocking her face-down and gripping her arm painfully behind her back. Pell gave a startled squawk before trying to fly to Asalie only for the two Zubat to cut her off and start hammering attack after attack on the grass owl.

 _"Stinkin' little bi-"_ the punk began to snarl, only for something metallic and round to _smash right into his face_ and off of Asalie.

She gasped in surprise, trying to massage her throbbing arm as she scrambled away from the punk. The next moment, the Zubats were suddenly covered in bright yellow electricity, making them both screech in pain and they collapsed unconscious. Pell panted in pain as she weakly flew to Asalie's side.

"How-?!" Asalie began before she heard a low humming.

Her rescuer was a round gray Pokemon with magnets and single eye. **"Bzz..."** it murmured.

 _That must be-_

"Rattata, quick attack!"

At that, the black rodent smashed into the punks's side and knocked him back down onto the street before pushing itself off of the first and ramming into the second, knocking him down as well. Emily and Lilly ran to where Asalie was, the teacher's Magnemite out as well. The Magnemite that had jumped in earlier had swiftly retreated into a patch of grass across the street.

"Asalie!" Lillie exclaimed, kneeling by the brunette's side. "Oh no, you're hurt!"

"I'm okay," Asalie tried to tell her only for pain to explode when she tried to open her mouth and she let out a weak moan.

"Shit, we've been had, A!" the second punk cried out.

"No foolin'- let's blow this Popsicle stand, B!" the first agreed- the two were about to run away only to be stopped by-

"Oh my, how terrifying," Ilima mused as his Gumshoos stood over the two punks.

"EEK!" they both shrieked, trying to scramble away only to back up beside Emily and her Pokemon. "And where do you two think you're going?" she asked, glasses glinting ominously.

* * *

"I'm so sorry," Lillie said.

She and Asalie sat in the nurse's office, the latter on one of the cots. The two punks had been taken away to the police station with Ilima serving as guard.

Asalie only shook her head at her apology, unable to speak properly with the ice she was holding against her cheek and her other hand holding another pack to her arm. Pell was asleep, bandages wrapped around her body.

"I was late getting up, I tried to tell them to leave me alone but-" Lillie kept going on, frustrated tears in her eyes.

The brunette couldn't take this and set the ice down to take her hand. "Those jerks were the ones who started that, not you," she could barely articulate.

"But..."

Asalie shook her head again, jabbing a thumb at her chest. "And I'm the moron who attacked first," before her expression became frustrated, "and didn't stand a chance."

 **"Bzz..."**

Both girls looked up at the noise before they saw the Magnemite from before looking through the window. Unlike before, it hovered and didn't hide again, looking intently at Asalie. The brunette got up and opened the window with her good arm, allowing it to come in.

"Thanks," she said, trying to smile and winced at the pain. "You've been watching me these past weeks- haven't you?"

The Magnemite looked down and Asalie had a sense that it was blushing- as strange as the phrase sounded, especially applied to the Pokemon before her. She remembered Ilima's offer and withdrew a poke-ball from her bag.

 _Didn't think I'd be eating my words so soon..._


	7. Chapter 7

Gigarot: One step at a time, as they say.

TheHolyBlade: Neither did I ._.

RandomReader: :)

* * *

"Be good to your Pokemon now!"

"Try to follow up on those status conditions!"

"Good luck with your island challenge!"

"I hope you got close to a lot of new people!"

"Make sure you use that TM- make your Pokemon the strongest!"

"Show 'em what you're made of, Asalie!"

Asalie couldn't help the smile on her face as she waved goodbye- a week had passed since their run-in with the two punks and since she had officially caught her second Pokemon. She had named the Magnemite "Bishop" after trying a few names with them and accidentally mentioned this name only for them to get attached to it immediately.

In the days that followed, Bishop trained alongside Pell- the Rowlet had been wary of the Magnemite at first but eventually welcomed them, for they had protected her trainer and she couldn't find fault in that. Rotom-Dex and Bishop both got along surprisingly well desipite the Magnemite being gentler and more timid in temperament while Rotom-Dex was all attitude and snark.

Asalie's injuries had healed, though they were the least of her worries- Lillie stayed all but glued to her side ever since then along with Astin, who had been physically held back from storming down to the station and beating the two punks up himself. It took Kekoa's gentle but firm scolding to calm her brother down- Asalie couldn't help being impressed with the blond being able to calm Astin like that.

However, the brunette knew that she couldn't keep staying at the school- more than anything, she needed to keep improving however possible, one of those steps being to require about Z-Crystals and moves proper when she got the chance. So with that in mind, Asalie and Lillie left the school and moved on.

Or at least tried to.

* * *

 **"If I had a pulse, it'd be racin' right now,"** Rotom-Dex remarked.

"Hi Lillie! Hi Asa!" Hau yelled at them as Hala cradled the Tauros from three weeks ago in his arms. **"Mooo-aaarrr..."**

"Oh, hello Hau, kahuna Hala," Lillie greeted the two of them while Asalie's jaw dropped to her waist, arms and upper body slack.

"Sorry if I frightened you two- it's time to take this fellow home," Hala said, "but would either of you mind giving him a little pat? He doesn't calm down properly if someone doesn't pet him and my hands are full."

Lillie immediately petted the giant bull, making him calm a bit more. **"Byoh..."** he rumbled, gently nuzzling her face before trying to eat her hat.

 **"Pew-ew!"** Nebby exclaimed, pulling Lilliy's hat out of Tauros' range and making the bull grumble petulantly.

"Ha-ha! Oh, the places you'll go, children," Hala chuckled as he went on his way.

"Bye _tutu!_ Bye Tauros!" Hau called after the older man, waving goodbye before turning to the two girls. "Man, kahunas are awesome, huh? He can even calm down Tauros without battling! I mean, I like Tauros plenty and all, but it's still pretty scary. I wouldn't want to ride it-"

"WAIT WAIT- _wait,_ just- just hold on a minute," Asalie exclaimed pleadingly, hand on her head and eyes replaced with swirly circles. "I need time to wrap my head around what I just saw..."

Pell gently put a wing on her shoulder while Bishop hovered on the other side, confused but concerned. **"I hear ya, toots- and I've seen plenty of crazy shit before,"** Rotom-Dex said sympathetically.

"You okay there, Asa...?" Hau began but Lillie put a hand on his shoulder and gently shook her head. "Just let her get her bearings back."

* * *

One frosty moomoo milk, extra chocolate tapu coco and lemonade from the Pokemon Center Cafe later, Asalie had recovered. "Dear Mew, that happens three times a week?"

"I was surprised too, but Tauros doesn't destroy anything or hurt anyone on purpose," Lillie explained. "He just really likes exploring."

"You get used to it!" Hau chirped.

"Yeah I gue- _aw shit!"_ Asalie began before stopping to swear in frustration. "I completely forgot to ask him about the stone!"

"I'm sure you can ask _tutu_ later- and language, Asa."

After they paid for the drinks and healed up their teams- Asalie noticing a small poster asking for photos of Pokemon- they began to explore the rest of the city. Hau'oli was the biggest city in all of Alola with docks, malls, police HQ and other various stores, including a boutique and barber shop beside an enormous mall.

 **"I dunno about you, but I'm ready for a nice relaxing stroll- especially by the beach!"** Rotom-Dex said.

Asalie had gotten a few glimpses of the sea as they landed via airplane and from the route, but this was the first time she saw it so up close- and it was HUGE. An expanse of brilliant blue that seemed to stretch on forever and ever. Hau suggested that after they explored the rest of the city, they could go to the beach to relax.

"It does sound nice- but I don't know how to swim, nor do I have swimming clothes..." Lillie admitted, looking down.

"No sweat- me and Asa can teach you!" Hau exclaimed before pointing down a few stores. "And there are some clothing stores that sell swim suits!"

The three of them kept walking until Hau pulled Asalie into the Tourist Bureau- Asalie had been there once before and now apparently, they sold special cameras- and one had come in for the Rotom-Dex. **"UPGRADE! YEAH, BOI!"** Rotom-Dex yelled happily.

"Congrats!" Hau cheered as they exited the shop to meet Lillie. "Wow, they're really something, aren't they? Like a whole 'nother Pokemon partner, like Pell and Bishop! Or maybe they already are...?"

Hau scratched his head for a moment before shrugging with a grin. "Either way, you're pretty darn lucky!"

"Lucky, my foot- you're the one who brought me here in the first place," Asalie said, grinning as well.

"Eh."

"Either way, Rotom will be a big help even more now," Lillie said with a smile.

 **"Think fast, suckas!"** Rotom-Dex exclaimed as they snapped a picture of the three of them. **"Man, I might never leave this pokedex!"**

"You little trickster, you!" Hau laughed as Lillie tried to see straight again. "Put that little guy back in your bag before he gets anymore ideas, Asa!"

 **"Aw, shut it,"** Rotom-Dex said playfully. **"I just wanted to try out my new functions- and what better way than to immortalize you three love birds smiling together?"**

Asalie and Hau both looked startled at that while Lillie just blinked- Rotom-Dex just cackled and shot back into Asalie's bag. "Well, I'm gonna go check out the malasada bakery! See you guys in a bit at the beach at- um, six tonight!" Hau decided and ran off.

"I'm going to go see what the boutique has," Lillie told Asalie. "Are you heading there too?"

* * *

The two girls went over to the boutique and barber shop- when they got there, Lillie was given a lens case and makeup bag for being the 99,999th customer to their establishment. The blonde then bought another of the items each each and gave them to Asalie.

The brunette really didn't know how to tell Lillie had she had never worn makeup and her eye sight wasn't bad enough that she needed contacts, but Asalie wouldn't tell the blonde this. "Wow- thanks Lillie!" she said.

"Now we've got something in common- hee..." Lillie said, smiling brightly.

To-Do List item 12: Find tasteful yet minimal ways to apply makeup, Asalie wrote down as Lillie went to look for new clothes.

 **"Bow chicka, bow wow~"** Rotom-Dex snickered before Asalie flicked their side.

She went to the boutique first- she didn't but much, just a few tanktops and shorts, along with some long over-the-knee socks that looked pretty good on her, along with a yellow one piece swimsuit with a palm tree that actually didn't look that bad on her. She even found a green jacket with pinnable sleeves that was surprisingly warm she ended up getting. She took off the loose t-shirt and green shorts and put on a white tank top, red padded shorts and black over-the-knee socks along with the jacket.

 **"Looking' good, toots!"** Rotom-Dex remarked.

As much as her dad's kicked Lillipup eyes haunted her, Asalie put away the red hat and let her hair hang down. She examined it in the mirror, twisting a strand before trying to run her fingers through it only for them to get caught in some pretty nasty tangles. After about a minute of struggling, she had only gotten through one of them.

Further examination and Asalie realized that her hair had gotten a lot longer than she realized, to the point where it nearly reached her elbows- not tomention it had grown thick and mangy.

 **"Al-i-bino~ Mo-mo-squito! Mee mee mee mo~ Bum bum~ Bum bum~ Bum bu-u-um~"** Rotom-Dex hummed as they walked over to the barber shop.

A 4,000 pokeyen payment later, the brunette laid back in the chair and drifted off as the barber washing, shampooed, thinned and trimmed her hair.

By the time they were done, her hair had a luster that hadn't been present for... years and it looked far sleeker. **"Ta-a-a-a da-a-a-a~"** Rotom-Dex balked, making jazz hands towards Asalie as she thanked the barber for the job well done.

A quick trip to the mall she restocked hygiene items, a fold-up tent, a watch for her right wrist in case any of her devices stopped working, maps showcasing the different islands. She also restocked food for her team and an extra comb, brush, blow dryer, towel and status-absorbing cotton balls and tweezers.

As she went out to look around a bit more, Asalie noticed the wall by her had a sizable chunk missing from it and Rotom-Dex suddenly flew out of her bag. **"Toots! Fire up the finder, will ya- I think there's somethin' over there!"**

The brunette turned it on and set it by the wall carefully- through the lens, she saw a female Pikachu grooming herself and murmuring cutely. She clicked the shutter only for the bright flash to go off, startling the Pikachu and scaring her away.

 **"Whoops-a-daisy,"** Rotom-Dex shrugged before remarking, **"though that's not a bad picture overall, toots."**

Asalie shrugged but stayed by the wall, waiting for another Pokemon to show up. When a Rockruff pounced on a falling leaf, Asalie clicked for a photo, remembering to turn off the flash this time. She was able to get a few more pictures of Rockruff, along with a few others of a Growlithe and a male Pikachu.

 **"Those're some pretty good pics there,"** Rotom-Dex said, leafing through what they got as Asalie looked over the poster proper at the center. **"You ever photograph before, toots?"**

"Sort of- one of my first video games' whole basis was taking just pictures of Pokemon and trying to get a better score," Asalie explained as she wrote down the address and phone number. "I was pretty addicted to it until I got older- it's been collecting the most dust out of my collection back home."

She called the person who put up the poster- an elderly woman named Kaila- and then headed to her house, a small cottage by the beach. "Come on in!" she called as Asalie knocked on the door.

Kaila was a broad old woman with white hair pulled back in a braid, bright yet wise green eyes and deep olive skin. She offered the brunette and her team some tea and snacks as she looked over the photographs taken.

"This was your first time taking pictures in real life, you say?" Kaila laughed, deep and rough. "I can only say you'll get better with practice- and try to keep your hair out of the frames."

Asalie blushed at this mid-drink, some of the strands actually slipping past her shoulder and one strange actually landing in her tea. "If you'd like, I can help keep it back for you," Kaila suggested.

"What do you have in mind?"

With that, Kaila took a brush and started to pull her hair back, leaving a few bangs to slide down the right side of her face before she started to braid it. Once she finished that, she pulled the braid back and wrapped it into a loose bun before using a scrunchie to secure the hair.

"There we are- and here are some spares in case you lose those," Kaila said, handing Asalie a few more ponytail holders and scrunchies.

"Thank you," Asalie said, hands reaching up subconsciously to the bun.

"I was surprised that someone picked up my poster so soon- I just put it up yesterday," the old woman said. "My grandson will be visiting Alola once he finishes another journey, so I wanted to show him pictures of what Pokemon he can expect to see."

"He has history of being a trainer?"

"Indeed he does- on that note, here."

Asalie's eyes widened in surprise at the amount of money she was being given. "Whoa, um- _wow_. Thank you so much, ma'am!"

"Of course not- actually, if you could keep taking pictures during your challenge and send them to me, I'll keep paying you for them."

"How did you-"

"Dearie, anyone who wears the island challenge amulet will see things not many people can claim to have ever witnessed."

Asalie's eyes flitted to the amulet on her bag.

"That reminds me of my own journey- must have been, oh, sixty years now," the old woman mused, eyes drifting to the sea. "I remember when they were still trying to build those docks properly because of how many challengers were going about. There were even groups of whole challengers who'd cooperate so they'd all make it through while there were some groups who failed and tried to make others fail out of sheer spite."

The old woman sighed. "The more things change, the more they stay the same it seems."

Pell nibbled quietly on her snack while Bishop looked at Kaila and Rotom-Dex's eyes flitted between the two humans. "Did- did you complete the trial?" Asalie asked.

"Oh my, no," the old woman chuckled lightly. "I got as far as Ula'Ula island before deciding that it wasn't meant to be."

The old woman must have sensed Asalie's conflicting emotions at her words and said, "There's no shame in stopping your challenge- these are trials that even adults are hard-pressed to take. And the ones who are put through them the most are still children. And if I hadn't stopped, I wouldn't have met the man I married or had my children or they their grandchildren."

"I've no regrets with the direction I've taken with my life."

Asalie's lips pressed into a fine line, expression troubled.

Just then, she heard a cuckoo noise and glanced behind- a Pikipek cuckoo clock was going off, the time reading six PM. "Sh- oot!" she began before quickly changing the last bit. "Um, thank you for the tea Kaila, but my friends are waiting for me!"

"Of course- thank you again for the photographs, Asalie," Kaila said with a smile.

The brunette returned her team to their poke-balls, Rotom-Dex flew into her bag and she was out the door.

* * *

"Whoa, you look great Asa!" Hau exclaimed when she caught up with them by the beach, wheezing for breath.

Lillie didn't say anything as she looked at the brunette, hands tight around the bag strap. "So, did we all find what we were looking for?"

Asalie nodded, still trying to catch her breath.

"Woo! Beach time!" Hau exclaimed with joy and the green-haired boy raced over to the changing area on the beach- Asalie and Lillie looked at one another then at the beach.

"Beach time?" Asalie offered, voice still weak from little air.

"... beach time," Lillie agreed with a smile.

They went to get changed- Asalie with the one piece ( _Swimsuit,_ she added in her head with a snicker), Hau in bright green-blue swimming trunks and Lillie- was still wearing her normal dress.

Words could not express Asalie's disappointment.

"I'll be fine on the beach, none of the swimming clothes suited me- but you two look lovely," said apologetically before quickly adding in the last bit.

Now words could not express her giddiness.

"Aw, thanks!" Hau said with a bright grin before releasing Konane and Akela. "Let's have fun!"

Asalie released Pell and Bishop as well as letting Rotom-Dex out of her bag to wander as well. Pell immediately went to play with Konane in the water, though she made sure to keep dry enough so her feathers wouldn't be weighed down. Akela stayed on the sand, playing with the mounds while Bishop and Rotom-Dex both explored the sand.

Hau splashed in the waves and Asalie joined him for a bit- the water was a bit cold but the sun in the sky and the mild weather made it feel more refreshing against her skin. When a wave came up and knocked her down, she had nearly tripped on-

"What the hell is that?" Asalie wondered at the... brown cucumber-like thing with bits of magenta on it.

"That's a Pyukumuku," Lillie said from where she was resting in the shade. "They often wash up on beaches since they live in the shallow areas."

"No fooling?" the brunette remarked before sitting down on a towel to enjoy the sunlight.

It was still some time before the sun would set proper and she sighed at the feeling of the breeze and sunlight on her skin- Asalie never thought it'd feel so good but it did.

"I was really impressed with how you battled at the Trainer School," Lillie admitted suddenly.

"Oh- well thanks," Asalie said with a smile before it became a confused line as the blonde stared into the horizon, braids gently swaying in the breeze.

"And even before when you saved Nebby- you weren't a trainer, you didn't have any Pokemon and you must have been as scared as I was, but you still helped us all the same. You almost got hurt- you could have died- and you still did it. You even stood up to those two men just to help me, despite getting hurt..."

She turned back to the brunette. "You said before that you weren't a good trainer and that it wasn't a good idea to have Pokemon, but you still bonded with Pellimore, Rotom and even with Bishop so quickly- and when you find something you're not good at or lack experience with, you do everything you can to better yourself," she went on.

Asalie was speechless at this, eyes wide with surprise. She didn't know what brought this on from the blonde or why she was telling her this now.

"I can't figure out the most basic roads or directions, I can't even buy my own clothes, I don't like fighting at all and when I'm confronted I feel faint," Lillie continued, arms hugging around her knees. "Compared to you, I'm..."

The brunette put a hand on her shoulder gently. "Come on- you're just starting out, same as me- we're both in places that we know so little about, doing things that we never imagined ourselves doing. Of course it's gonna be hard adjusting."

"Asa..."

"Hell, I keep waking up thinking about my video games and series and then remembering they're not with me," she went on, stretching her arms out. "I'm still unsure of this path too- but I still want to try."

"... that's why you're such a good trainer," the blonde said. "Even when you're scared, you still want to try."

* * *

After about two hours, they got their teams together and settled down in the Pokemon Center.

Hau still wanted to look around some more and Lillie didn't feel comfortable going onto the next route- this bothered Asalie, as she was making plans on going onto the next Route. She found that Ilima's trial was near the route and she wanted to try it out and ask him about the stone and seeing if it could be carved to fit the Z-Crystals.

 _I'm still worried about actually using those things,_ Asalie thought as she remembered the fight at the school with the two punks, _but it'd be good to have something to take any would-be attackers and/or opponents off guard._

* * *

Asalie's current look is dark brown hair in romantic tuck and sideswept bangs, black contacts (because the gray looks too blue in-game ^^;), white tanktop, red padded shorts, black over-the knee socks and bright pink lipstick (because this went the best with her color scheme ^^;) The green jacket in my own creation.

The swimsuit is based on the tropical tank the girl character gets.

This chapter DID NOT WANT TO BE WRITTEN. I had to keep going back, changing up the narrative and structure until I got this.


	8. Chapter 8

Cottonmouth25: Poke-finder is based on the game :)

LilMate: Thank you so much!

There already is.

TheHolyBlade: Will do.

Gigarot: Rotom-Dex is pretty awesome.

Also, Lillie does talk about being impressed after they leave the trainer school and a bit more when the player comes to the boutique and after they fight Ilima and go to Route 2.

 **Author's Note: I'm playing through Sun while writing this story. Only other time I've played the game is my first runthrough of Moon.**

PackRatPrincess: _Anyone_ would be messed up being constantly exposed to Lusamine.

I tried a different take on a protagonist- it looks like a lot of people like her :D

You probably could- when they let you XD

J: Thanks a lot :)

Guest: It shall come when it comes.

* * *

 _I didn't think resting places like these still existed._

Asalie stepped into the Melemele Cemetery- the area wasn't that large and hidden away on Route 2- if an old man hadn't pointed it out to her, she would have passed by without ever knowing it existed.

She brought her team out to walk with her and took some incense from an older woman with a Machamp to put by the graves- no one she knew laid here but anyone could respect those departed.

The brunette had grown up in Saffron City but she began well acquainted with Lavender Town after the death of her mom-'s Meowth. When they had come to the Pokemon Tower to lay her to rest, Asalie had felt the solemness and sadness not just of their group but of the entire tower.

Pell gently nuzzled her side while Bishop looked on, trying to understand. The three of them remained as they were-

"Whenever I come here- it's too mournful," an office worker sighed before throwing out an Alolan Diglett.

"Wha-?!" Asalie began in disbelief.

"Astonish!"

Pell tried to back away but the Diglet hit her head on, nearly knocking her against some fresh incense. The Rowlet quickly knocked the Diglett out with leafage while the brunette's hand connected with the office worker's face as hard as she could make it.

"Have some fucking respect for the dead, asshole!" she snarled before storming away.

She went over the tall grass to see if there were any Pokemon- she found Zubat, Ghastly and a few odd Drifloon and the lone Misdreavus. Things were never the same after her mom-'s Meowth's death. The house was quieter, the space was greater and something important wasn't just gone, it had become gray and devoid of feeling.

"Rather than mourn, I will endeavor to keep myself cheerful," an older man said as she crossed by him and threw a poke-ball out.

A plump fighting type came out next- it smashed it's palm at Pell and she was about to dodge before Asalie shouted, "Don't!"- if Pell dodged, the attack would crush the grave marker behind them. The Rowlet took the hit and smashed a peck into Makuhita's face but not before the fighting type jabbed her wing and Pell screeched in pain before knocking it out.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she snapped at the man as she picked Pell up carefully.

"I-" the old man began, concerned only for Asalie's hand to smack him upside the head. _"Go fuck yourself!"_

She stormed away, looking over Pell as carefully as she could- the wing wasn't broken but it was definitely sprained. She returned the Rowlet to her poke-ball and made her way to the exit, the memory of her funeral flashing before her eyes.

She knew why she had felt the way she did after the funeral- when she saw her mom-'s Meowth's body lowered into the ground, she had seen her own future. She knew that one day, she'd be lowered down into her own grave too.

"I'll use the moves it used to-" a cowgirl began only for Asalie to smash her fist into her face and run out without another word.

* * *

"Woo! These look great!" Hau exclaimed as Konane barked in excitement and Akela's eyes were wide in amazement as they beheld the fields of berries before them.

He had just started heading to Route 2 a few hours ago since Asa had left two days ago. He, Konane and Akela got their fill of the big city and all it's treats and malasadas before they made preparations to move onward. Lillie had backtracked to Professor Kukai's place and asked him to tell Asa that she was rooting for them both.

"Thank you," the woman with apron and strawhat who managed them, Alamea, said with a quiet smile. "We've gotten a great harvest this month, though the Pokemon getting into them are more zealous than ever."

The Delibirds that waddled around the fields looked cute and friendly, but their eyes were sharp and they were far more agile than they appeared.

"Well, thanks a lot for showing me around-" Hau began only for someone to suddenly push him out of the way and right into a berry bush.

 **"Bwark!/ "Chu!"** Konane and Aklea exclaimed as they ran to the green-haired boy.

When he got up- covered in brambles, leaves and juice stains, he saw two punks swagger up to Alamea menacingly.

"You got a lame buncha berries- now Team Skull's your adversary! Takin' berries off your hands' just the start of our plans, yo!" the first rapped.

"Let's get Figy with it! Watch as I Nanab me some berries!" the second rapped.

"Hey now, what're you guys doing? You could just ask if you want some," Hau said cordially as he stepped between the two punks and woman, Koanne and Akela both glaring daggers at them for manhandling their trainer.

"Yo, you tryin' ta pick a fight with Tema Skull, kid?" the first sneered, pushing Hau back.

"We do whatever th' fuck whenever th' fuck we want!" the second added.

 **"Grrr..."** Konane growled, about to fire a water gun but Hau gently put a hand on his head to calm him down.

"Come on now," he said, voice still gentle, "you don't have to sound so threatening-"

"I appreciate your help Hau, but save your breath- thieves are thieves," Alamea told him, expression cold. "Pokemon are far more deserving of these berries than the likes of you!"

"So yer sayin' we're lower than Pokemon, huh?!" the first snapped, grabbing the woman by the collar of his shirt. "I've already got self-esteem issues, bitch!"

"Hey, come on now!" Hau said, voice raising and his smile more strained as he tried to make the punk let go.

"Yo, you have a death wish of sumthin'?!" the second snapped as he reached for his poke-ball.

 _"Hey!"_

Hau, the two punks and Alamea looked up to the source of the voice- a Delibird had Asalie by her bag as she was following it towards them, Bishop hovering by her shoulder.

"And what're you lookin' at, huh?" the second snapped, getting all in her face and forcing her back a step with each "Huh? Huh?! HUH?!"

 **"Bzzt!"**

 _"Yeek!"_

At that, the Magnemite let out a thundershock, making the second jump back from the brunette. Hau jumped a bit at that, not expecting the attack- that was when he saw the brunette and electric/steel type were both tense and that she had a dark expression. "Asa...?" he questioned with concern.

"Yo D, I think I recognize this chick!" the first hissed. "She's th' one A and B ran into back in the city!"

"Y-you got a bone to pick with us, girlie?!" D exclaimed, voice high-pitched and after-thundershock smock arising from his body. "You might've gotten off lucky with those two suckas, but now you're facin' C and D!"

Alamea spoke up at this. "I appreciate your concern, Hau and young miss- do forgive my Delibird for taking up your time. However, these of Team Skull are all talk and no action. Please continue with your island challenge and don't give them a moment's notice. I don't want to make you overexert your Pokemon."

"Well?" the brunette asked them- but Bishop stayed their ground. "Looks like we're staying."

"Yo, we're standing _right here!"_ D yelled. "At least TRY to act a little scared or somethin', y'know?!"

"That's it! We're gonna hafta take your Pokemon along with the berries! I bet that starter'll get a hefty price!" C declared.

"Can we at least take this outside the field?" Hau asked, shifting between them and Asalie. "I don't want to mess up her crops!"

"To hell with that! If Team Skull can't have these berries, no one can!"

With that, the two punks- or rather, grunts- sent out Drowzee and Zubat respectively. "Check out how hardheaded Team Skull grunts can be-"

"Bishop, thundershock."

"Konane, use aqua jet!"

Within those two moves, Zubat was knocked out and Drowozee was barely standing after being attacked.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! HOW ARE THOSE POKEMON SO STRONG?!" C shrieked.

Hau was about to reply but Asalie stormed up and grabbed C by the front of his shirt and the boy was startled at the furious expression on her face, her teeth bored back in a snarl.

"Now you _listen here_ : I've been having a shitty day that's only gotten more shitty with finding out there's actually more of you asshats. Unless you want me to take even more of it out on you two brain surgeons, I suggest _you get the fuck out. Now!"_

C and D looked at each other before they screamed, "RUN AWAY!" and shot right past Asalie and Hau and leaving behind clouds of dust from their speed.

* * *

A lunch and healing from the plantation later, Asalie and her team looked much better and she departed with Hau. The green-haired boy tried to make conversation a few times but the brunette remained silent, Bishop staying close to her with concern in their eye.

After around twenty minutes, they came to the center on Route 2 and were able to get one of the last rooms. "You don't mind sharing it, do you? There are two beds..."

"It's fine," Asalie assured the receptionist before heading up.

They dropped their stuff off by their beds and Asalie flopped on the mattress, burying her face into the pillow. Hau felt awkward sitting by there but he made himself sit by her side and asked, "So, did something happen?"

"... I went to visit the Hau'oli cemetery- and I got _challenged to a fight. Three. Times,"_ she gritted out, the fury from earlier seeping into her voice and expression.

Hau blinked before he said, "I'm sorry you lost-"

No sooner had he said this had Asalie shot right up, furious disbelief on her face. "I had to _fight_ right in the cemetery- I had to go through _three separate battles!_ There are graves of people and Pokemon there and they _made me fight_ when either of us could damage their resting places! _And you ask if I lost?!_ On top of that, Pell got her wing sprained from the fight and I couldn't even pay proper respects onto those resting there because of those pieces. Of. _SHIT!"_

The brunette cut off as tears came to her eyes and her chest heaved, trying to breathe properly- Bishop gently nuzzled her side as best they could. Hau stared in shock at her, unsure of how to comfort her properly without making her angrier. Finally, he just put a hand on her back to soothe her.

 _"Tutu_ once said that battles can take place anywhere, whether with Pokemon or not," he said slowly. "He said that mourning was natural but those departed wouldn't want to see those alive saddened- rather cherish the memories of the times they were alive..."

"You can do both without possibly desecrating their graves," Asalie stated in a flat voice, wiping at her eyes. "I thought people like that were only an urban legend..."

"Kanto really cares about their dead, huh?"

"Lavender Town is known for being the oldest known Resting Place for humans and Pokemon. It's where my mom-'s Meowth is buried."

Asalie's expression regained some of it's upset, her hands flailing a bit as she said, "There're times to celebrate and there are times to mourn, sure- but battling where they've been laid to rest isn't something that- that you _do!_ Not if you're mourning or celebrating- it's just- _wrong!"_

Hau didn't say anything to this and just let her rant for a bit- after a while, she seemed to lose more steam until she fell asleep. Bishop curled up by her side and Hau covered her up with the available blankets and closed the door carefully behind him. He went outside to where the sun was beginning to set and gave a small sigh- the good mood from earlier had gone away.

The green-haired boy knew death- he had seen people die in Iki Village and given their final rites, he had been told of his mother's death so many times he lost count. For him, death had always been something that happened- something that had to be accepted, so life could be valued all the more.

 _I guess Asa sees it differently- I hope Pell gets better,_ he thought.

He walked over as quietly as he could and saw a Growlithe on the ground with some injuries, gently licking it's paw free of blood. When the Growlithe noticed Hau, it jumped away and gave a growl.

"Hey, it's okay," Hau told it gently, reaching into his backpack and pulling out the oran berries he got from Alamea and setting them down before the fire puppy.

The Growlithe stared in surprise at this before greedily pouncing on the berries, wolfing them down as fast as it could. As it ate more, it's injuries shimmered and healed

"There you go," Hau said with a relieved smile. "I'm glad you're feeling better- what the heck did you get into a fight with anyways?"

The Growlithe turned to one of the trees by the route and gave a low growl before stalking towards it. Hau followed it carefully before he saw a familiar creature- a Crabrawler, though this was one was much younger and less grizzled than Hala's. It was happily munching on some coconuts, breaking the shells apart with ease and scooping the white flesh out.

 **"Rawf-rawf!"** Growlithe barked at the Crabrawler, prompting it to look up at the fire puppy. **"Shiiinn..."** it sneered, clacking it's claws.

"Whoa, why're you two-" Hau began before Growlithe howled and ran right at Crabrawler, fangs glinting.

However, Crabrawler was ready and sidestepped to the side before sucker-punching the Growlithe- however the fire puppy twisted it's body to roll away from the attack and used the momentum to fire an ember attack. Crabrawler blocked the attack with it's fisticuffs only for Growlthe to deal a powerful tackle at it's chest and stomach, knocking it backwards.

Hau looked back and forth between the two as they continued fighting and he was surprised to see them both grinning as they delivered blow after blow to one another. "Are they rivals or something?" he wondered.

"That they are," Nurse Joy said, making Hau jump in surprise at her sudden appearance. "Those two are always trying to beat each other whenever they can for months now."

"They'll be okay, right?" Hau asked worriedly as Growlithe yelped as Crabrawler's fist connected with it's side.

"If they get too badly hurt, then we'll bring them in- I think they moved themselves further down this route just so they could be closer to the center."

"Okay..."

* * *

When Asalie woke up the next day, she felt groggy and miserable. The previous day was still fresh in her mind and she rolled over.

Her teeth gritted together in anger and her fingers gripped the sheets underneath her tightly. Some time after her mom-'s Meowth had been laid to rest, she got news of Lavender Town's renovations.

 _It's bad enough that they tore the tower down and made the graves be moved- but what do they replace it with? A radio station- a FUCKING radio station!_

The office worker, old man and cowgirl and their battles played over and over in her mind- they were so careless! Any number of those attacks could have destroyed a marker stone or upset a grave- _not that they gave a shit!_

She kicked the blankets off her, accidentally waking Bishop and they blearily floated off the bed. Asalie didn't apologize, getting the food out- and spilling quite a bit of it- and stormed into the shower with her hygienic items.

After about ten minutes- two spent fumbling with said items because of temper- Asalie emerged with her hair still wet and pulled back. Pell and Bishop had finished eating already and waited for her to gather her things before heading down to the desk.

"Your Rowlet's wing is sprained but with rest and healing, she should be ready to go within a few days," the Nurse Joy informed her.

"Thank you," she said, wincing regardless- she had hoped to be able to do the trial as soon as possible, but now she had to wait for Pell to heal and then even longer to retrain her. Her mood dropped even lower.

"Let's get training, Bishop," she said with a sigh- Bishop looked at her in worry.

With that, the day passed by slowly as they trained- however, Asalie's mood was beginning to affect her battling and she called out for moves that either did little damage because she was too angry to remember or for moves that did too much and only wanted to hurt the Pokemon more.

"Dammit!" she swore again as she stumbled on the ground and kicked a stone out of the way- the projectile hit a Makuhita and it turned around with an angry expression.

 **"Bzz..."** Bishop whimpered- those were always the worst to deal with. Asalie turned to them, expression dark before she saw how scared they were.

She scooped them into her arms and tried to run from the fighting type only for it to barrel into her and knock her down. Regardless, she returned Bishop to the poke-ball and kept running to protect them. The Makuhita moved to run into her again only for a red and beige blur smacked into Makuhita and knocked it out.

"Wha-?!" Asalie exclaimed as the Growlithe stood over the Makuhita proudly before she saw Hau running to her. "Hau-"

However, his expression was far from happy- a frown on was on his face and his arms were crossed. Asalie opened her mouth to reply then closed it again as her eyes averted to Bishop's poke-ball.

"I- _fuck."_

* * *

Some Tapu Cocoa and Roserade tea for their respective teams and a long-winded apology to Bishop later, Asalie resigned herself to waiting. Bishop still stayed by her side, worried for her.

"I think you both need a day off if what happened threw you off so badly," Hau suggested. "We could just have our teams play together and relax- I still need to introduce you to Pele!"

The Growlithe from earlier proudly stood before the brunette, sparkles around her face. "So she joined for food and to beat her rival?" Asalie summarized.

Konane and Akela- now a Pikachu- both kept Bishop company while Pele was more standoffish as she knew little of Asalie and her team. Bishop was happy to see the Popplio and Pikachu again- they were a bit more nervous around the Growlithe, due to her fire type, while she seemed to look down on them.

 **"Aaaaaggghhh, the trial site's RIGHT THERE, toots- can't we just scope it out?!"** Rotom-Dex whined for the nth time.

"You never complained about us taking time before," the brunette remarked.

 **"That was BEFORE we spent all this time doing everything BUT going to the trial sight! Oh my sweet Ilima must have gray hair by now..."**

"You know it's barely been two weeks since we last saw him, right?"

 **"ANTHYDING can hadplen in two weeks!"**

"... you did that on fucking purpose."

 **"Ya damn right I did- I'm bored outta ma ectoplasma!"**

* * *

Two days slowly came to a close and Asalie felt relieved by the report that Nurse Joy gave- Pell's wing was healing up and she'd be able to take the Rowlet outside again. She was especially happy to be able to play with the other Pokemon, if only for a little bit.

Asalie's mood had improved, if only a little- she was still very angry at the events surrounding Pell's injury and had even submitted a report of the event to the police. While she had no names and could only describe their faces, the Police took it into account, as injuring Pokemon when the trainer didn't wish to battle was a crime.

Hau was an enormous help- in training and support. He helped the brunette reign in her surprisingly vindictive temper and when that failed, he just took her aside until she had calmed down. She also kept taking pictures around her for Kaila- she was beginning to get the hang of it, or at least able to keep her hair out of the picture- in fact, taking the pictures helped her calm down quite a bit.

Finally, Pell's wing was freed from the sprint and she was able to fly just a bit even with some bandages over the appendage. This especially cheered the brunette up and Pell cooed happily as she flew over the route. Bishop continued to train, though they were still nervous from before- Asalie felt especially bad for this, having put the Magnemite through that.

Konane and Akela both did what they could to help Bishop and eventually Pell train as well- Pele still remained a bit standoffish around the Rowlet and the Magnemite but did make sure that no flying Pokemon tried to pick on Pell.

Finally after five days, Pell's wing had healed completely and they could train properly. With a suggestion from Rotom-Dex, Asalie got as close as she could to the trial site and took pictures of what she could, though with the gate there was little she could garner. With that, the brunette, Rowlet and Magnemite began training in earnest for the trial until...

* * *

"Greetings, Asalie- Captain Ilima here," the pink-haired captain greeted her cordially, "and welcome to my trial in Verdant Cavern!"

Asalie smiled and nodded at this, Pell and Bishop ready and waiting. The gateway stood ominously behind them, a wooden archway with beige overtones and intricate carvings across the woodwork.

"The Pokemon within Verdant Cavern are rather vicious- don't go in unless you're sure your team can handle it and make sure they're in tiptop shape," Ilima warned her.

"I made sure they were before coming here, sir," Asalie told him, expression serious.

"I believe you," the trial captain said and took out his Gumshoos- the mongoose-like Pokemon pushed against the door and it burst open, revealing the beginnings of a cave with moss growing on the outside around it.

Asalie swallowed the lump in her throat, took a deep breath and muttered, "Leory Jenkins," under her breath before running into the cavern.

As she got inside, the brunette's eyes widened at the sight below her- a gigantic cavern with trees, moss and ferns growing inside of it, the roots twisting and creating pathways and hollows and even a makeshift bridge across the divides that had no visible bottom.

"Let me formally welcome you to Verdant Cavern- I am the Trial Captain Ilima," Ilima said with a gentle but excited smile, hands trembling just the slightest. "I will now explain the basics of my trial."

He gestured to where a Yongoose and Rattata were scampering across the rock and moss to duck into one of the hollows. "Defeat three of the Pokemon that lurk here in their dens," before gesturing to the end of the cavern where sunlight streamed in, "and then make it to the exit and meadow beyond it to collect the Z-Crystal there."

 **"Grrrr!"**

Asalie jumped at the growl, as though it shook the cavern- Pell's feathers fluffed up and Bishop let out a startled **"Bzzt!"**

"Oh dear- I nearly forgot to mention this bit," Ilima said before adding, "Many strong and ferocious Pokemon make this cavern their home but there's one stronger and even more ferocious than the inhabitants you just saw- a Totem Pokemon."

The brunette blinked at this, feeling sweat on her temple- on it's own, such a title should have sounded silly but it sounded foreboding and dangerous. "Is that like the boss of this trial or something?" she asked.

"Exactly- this Totem Pokemon will be your greatest obstacle in this trial," Ilima confirmed.

"Is there anything else I need to know about?"

"Ah yes- until you complete this trial, you cannot catch any Pokemon within Verdant Cavern."

"Gotcha- oh wait a second one more thing!"

At that, Asalie dug into her bag and pulled out the stone to hand it to Ilima. "Ah, of course," the pink-haired captain said with a smile. "I'll see to it this then- any more questions, comments, concerns?"

"No sir- we're ready."

Ilima stepped aside and gestured to the entrance. "Good luck, challenger," he said.

With that, he stepped outside and Asalie heard the clang of the trial gates closing and locking behind her. "Let's go!"

The first trial had begun at last.

* * *

Bit of focus on Hau here this time around. He's a precious cinnamon roll too good for our world, too pure. So he's in Pokemon.

Again, this chapter did NOT want to get written ^^;


	9. Chapter 9

Cottonmouth25: It's technically rated E- as in, for everyone. So yeah.

lychee-ran: You will see~ Oh yes~ You WILL see...

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Okay first off- great username :D

Second off, I'll be sure to check them out proper once I have free time.

William Ungerstein Fmergio: Hau met Lillie and was able to spend time with her while Asalie was getting used to Alola later in the story- I would say more but spoilers.

xXKaminari-TsubasaXx: No, I haven't read this book- I just wrote what would seem like a doomsday if/when the UB attacked.

As for whether or not your theory holds water, spoilers.

I'd be surprised if someone didn't have a crush on Lillie by the end of the game ^^;

Gigarot: You'll just have to wait and see :D

Think "Bat Credit Card"- cookies if you understand.

* * *

The cavern was cool and the smells of moss and stone made Asalie feel at ease. Sunlight flickered through some of the cracks on the ceiling, highlighting dust clouds and making shadows flicker about. The roots of the trees were enormous, twisting and creating pathways, hollows and even a makeshift bridge across the divides- which had no visible bottom.

Pell seemed right at home, cooing as she flew about. Bishop remained close to Asalie, nervous- she put a gentle hand on their head(?) to soothe them. "Okay, let's see..."

She took Rotom-Dex out and fired up the poke-finder. She took some pictures of the landscape before laying them out on the ground to study- the exit was on the far left area of the cavern, there were ledges with roots growing over them that made scaling all but impossible. She had found five dens in the pictures and some hollows between the roots and stones- there were also some items, presumably either set up or left by previous trainers.

One of these being a perfectly good technical machine for brick break. "How...?" Asalie muttered in amazement and disbelief that someone would leave such an item behind on accident while pocketing the tm carefully.

She came to the first hollow and peeked down in time for a Yongoose to scamper out- a divebomb peck from Pell knocked it out immediately and Rotom-Dex was able to snap a picture of her form. Looking over the photos and comparing them to the layout, Asalie found the next den was across the makeshift bridge.

She breathed in and out to psyche herself up to go across before she began to climb over the roots- however, her foot fell upon some slippery moss and she slipped. Yelping, Asalie tried to keep her balance and grab onto something to keep her upright but there was nothing within reach.

 **"Squawk!/ Bzzt!/ I gotcha!"** Pell, Bishop and Rotom-Dex all cried out, shooting towards the trainer and grabbing her jacket and arms- finally, their combined strength pulled Asalie back onto the bridge.

Asalie's chest heaved in and out, trying to regain her breath and calm down as she clung onto the roots- Pell, Bishop and Rotom-Dex looked over her worriedly. Her eyes squeezed tightly as she tried to force the tears from fear back. "Thank you," she murmured gratefully.

After making to the other side, Asalie stopped to catch her breath and calm down- she took a few more pictures of the cavern, getting one of the sunlight reflecting on a fern with just a little bit of dew left, making it sparkle. Once the break was done, Asalie made it to the next den. She checked it just in time for a Rattata to jump at her face and cling onto it- after a minute of panicked grappling, the brunette got the dark/normal type off of her face and Pell knocked it out with peck.

Once she finished patching up the scratches on her face and making sure they were clean ( _Thank you for the early-year vaccine shots, dad,_ she thought), Asalie examined the pictures to find the next den- which was on the other side of a mess of roots.

The brunette saw some dust being kicked up near the den and put the pictures away to crawl through a hollow to get to the other side- finding a super potion in the process- before checking the den only to find it was empty. _How? I saw it go inside here, so why-_ WAIT.

Asalie took out the pictures again to look at the dens before looking at the ones before her- sure enough on the next level, there was the dust kicked up by a Pokemon right above them. _So Whack-a- Diglet then,_ she summarized before cracking her knuckles.

"Bishop, guard this hole and zap anything that comes in or out of it," she told the Magnemite as she climbed up the level until coming to the den.

"Gotcha!" she exclaimed- only to find it empty as well. "Wha-?!"

The next moment, she heard something tittering and Asalie whirled around to see yet another dust cloud on the other side of the cavern.

"Seriously?!" she snapped in disbelief before turning to Pell, "Think you can make it?"

The Rowlet flew to the other side- only for the dust cloud to come up on the side she was just at beyond the roots, tittering all the way. "You can't run forever, you little dick-cheese," she muttered as she crawled through the roots again-

\- only to come face to feet with white and black sneakers. She looked up and saw two familiar faces swaggering over her.

"Yo, yo, yo!"

"It's your Berry thief boys back... back again! Remember us?"

"If I say yes, will you get the fuck out of my way?" Asalie asked before getting back onto her feet as Pell and Bishop rushed to her.

The two grunts looked shocked before D said, "Oh I get it..." and then they switched places and he exclaimed, "Anyone would be confused if we switched places, yo!"

Asalie stared at the two, mouth dropping open in incredulity. **"Wow, that actually happened,"** Rotom-Dex said, as even they were taken back at this.

"Who cares about that anyways?!" C snapped as he pushed D to the side. "We're here to mess up her trial, yo!"

"Oh yeah, that's right! Yo, let's get that last Pokemon, homie! But first Imma kick her ass!"

At that, D ran at her and brought out Drowzee. "Use-"

"Bishop, magnet bomb!"

The Drowzee was forced back by the attack before weakly trying to slap it's paw against the Magnemite, causing exactly one hit point of damage. **"Seriously?"** Rotom-Dex asked.

"Thundershock, finish it!" Asalie ordered and the Drowzee was rendered unconscious seconds later.

"What the fuck's up with that- for real, though?!" D exclaimed in disbelief. "I can't get my skull around how mad strong this bitch is!"

"Naw, it ain't even like that," C said with narrowed eyes at the brunette, "this bitch is _straight up dangerous!"_

 **"You sure they're talkin' about the same person, toots?"** Rotom-Dex asked Asalie, cocking a non-existent eyebrow- she could only shrug haplessly.

"-so freakishly strong that regular Pokemon don't wanna come out at all!" D exclaimed in worry, snapping the brunette out of her musings. "Can't we just get outta here?"

"Naw, we're not goin' out like that! We gotta get revenge!" C declared before gesturing over, "Go stand over that den and catch that skulking Rattata! She can't beat the trial if she can't beat all three of 'em, yo!"

Asalie was about to go after them when she realized both were going towards the dens she already checked- and providing suitable roadblocks for her challenge, all while keeping the den closest to her unblocked. _Sweet, sweet irony- not like that shit they mistake it for on TV,_ she thought, struggling to hide her victorious grin.

She crawled through the hollow and to the last den- only for an incredible fat and black and white Raticate to come out. **"Scrrrr-am!"**

 _This must be the Totem Pokemon!_ Asalie realized and she called out, "Bishop, use thunder wave!"

Bishop quickly sent a paralyzing wave at the dark/normal type, making it hiss as it's movement was hampered. It tried to move forward to tackle them but was stopped by the wave. "Okay, now use razor leaf Pell!"

Two razor leafs later, Bishop had won and even advanced a level. "Yeah!" Asalie exclaimed, fist pumping before cleaning the dust and dirt off her team. "Great job, guys!"

 **"Ah, how sweet victory brought on by irony tastes!"** Rotom-Dex cackled.

With that, she ran to the exit and stepped out into the sunlight- the clearing was filled with vegetation and fungus and in the center was a statue holding something shimmering. Asalie remembered the attack Gumshoos had used and an anticipating smile spread on her face, fists shaking.

Her hand closed around the white crystal carefully- it was warm and... full of life if that made sense, with the insignia of a circle and a smaller circle inside. But as she pulled away, Asalie felt a piercing gaze on her and Bishop and Pell quickly moved to flank the brunette in case of attack before a shadow fell over them.

Asalie looked up and her eyes widened in shock at the gigantic Gumshoos standing atop the ledge- she was barely able to move back in time to avoid getting crushed as it flipped backwards off the ledge and between them and the statue, at nearly ten feet in height.

 **"THHH!"** It roared before brilliant red-orange light flickered around it's body, making it's muscles bulge.

The adrenaline had become even stronger and even with the fear and dread, Asalie's grin stretched on her face and her teeth bared together through sheer excitement. "Thunder wave!" she shouted and Bishop shakily performed the attack, eye wide with fear.

This didn't deter the Gumshoos and it flashed a terrifying expression, making Bishop shiver in fear. Then, it let out another bellow, **"THHH!"** and Asalie's eyes widened as a Yongoose scampered to the Gumshoos side.

 _It shouldn't matter once I take care of the Gumshoos,_ Asalie reasoned. _Once it's boss is gone, it'll know it doesn't stand a chance!_

"Okay, now use thundershock!" Asalie shouted only for the Yongoose to leer at Bishop, making them shiver again before they had the chance to attack Gomshoos. The Gumshoos managed to attack through the paralysis and smacked Bishop across the field, damage greater thanks to leer.

"Use razor leaf!" Asalie ordered, Pell sending out the attack that hit both Gumshoos and Yongoos while Bishop got up again, groaning weakly- Asalie quickly used a potion on them.

During this, Yongoose fled from Pell's next attack but Gumshoos glared spitefully and smacked Pell hard, sending her sprawling against the ground- Asalie quickly ran to her and was relieved that her wing was still okay.

Bishop's single eye narrowed in determination and they returned to the field. **"BZZT!"** they shouted, making Gumshoos jump in surprise.

The normal type recovered quickly and then clamped it's fangs down on the Magnemite and shook them like a ragdoll. But Bishop used this chance to use thundershock and land a devastating blow on Gumshoos, the pain allowing them to break free.

The brunette, Rowlet and Magnemite waited with anticipation as Gumshoos struggled to stay on it's feet only for it to collapse on the ground with a thud, unconscious.

Around thirty seconds passed, though it felt much longer. "We- we did it..." Asalie said, voice barely above a whisper.

It didn't feel real- she had just battled a gigantic Pokemon with her own Pokemon and had won. After so much time had built up to this event, it was finally over. What they had all trained towards and what they had done to get here played back in her mind.

 **"VICTORY SCREECH!"** Rotom-Dex yelled, startling her. **"OLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!"**

 **"KOO!/ BZZT!"** Pell and Bishop exclaimed in triumph as they flew/floated back to Asalie and she scooped them into her arms. "You were amazing- I'm so proud of you!" she declared with a smile.

None of them noticed Ilima coming behind them and he smiled faintly at the trainer and Magnemite celebrating before he noticed something strange. _Is that...?_

"Captain Ilima- er, Ilima?" Asalie's voice broke him out of his train of thought.

 **"Ilima?! Where?!"** Rotom-Dex exclaimed before seeing the trial captain. **"He came!"**

"Ah- what an incredible trainer you are!" he said hastily, clapping lightly. "It's been a while since the Gumshoos I trained went down the way it did today."

At that, he knelt by the enormous creature and gently scratched it's head. "You did well- take some rest," and he healed the Gumshoos up before it disappeared into the cavern."

"Working in part with your Pokemon, you have cleared the trial of Ilima!"

Asalie beamed at the praise and Bishop buzzed happily. At that, the Z-Crystal in her had began to glow with the colors of the rainbow, as though celebrating as well.

"This Z-Crystal's formal name is Normalium-Z and if you let a Pokemon that knows a normal type move hold that-"

At that, Ilima performed the same dance he did back at the trainer school. "- and strike an elegant pose like this one, you will be able to strengthen a normal type move by unleashing a Z-Move!"

 **"So cool~"**

The brunette could barely repress the snicker at "elegant" before she remembered the attack his Gumshoos used that day. "Breakneck Blitz, right?"

"Correct- and now that you've completed this trial, you can catch Pokemon here in Verdant Cavern if you wish. In fact- here."

At this, Ilima gave her ten great balls. "Whoa..." she said in surprise before Ilima also held up some potions. "And for your hard-working partner," before healing Bishop up.

"And if you could take out your trainer passport?"

Asalie dug in her bag and pulled the book out- she had all but forgotten about it, as evidenced at the dust that covered it. Ilima took out a seal and put it in the passport. "This will show you have beaten my trial fairly should anyone give cause to doubt it. Now- shall we?"

With that, they left the cavern.

* * *

"Yo, Asalie!"

The brunette was surprised to see Professor Kukui come to meet them outside. "Hi professor!"

 **"Cockblocker..."** Rotom-Dex muttered under their breath before Asalie wordlessly stuffed them in her bag.

"Ooh, judging by Ilima's expression- I bet you passed the first trial with flying colors and got your Normalium-Z, yeah! Woo- good job!" he said, ruffling her hair- Ilima rolled his eyes and chuckled at this.

Asalie grinned at the praise before ducking away from his hand, dizzy. "Hey, wanna see something cool?" the bare-chested professor asked.

"Yeah, okay!"

The three of them went over to the cliffside where a barricade was standing and a stout man with a Raticate was guarding it.

"As you travel around the islands, you'll find captain barricades like these here and there," Ilima explained before Kukui could steal anymore of his thunder. "They help mark areas where particularly strong Pokemon live and keep inexperienced trainers from entering and possibly hurting themselves and their team."

"Of course they're allowed through if they are escorted by a strong trainer and those who pass the captain's trials will be allowed to pass through themselves," Kukui added.

"Ikaia, if you would?" Ilima asked and the stout man gave a thumbs up and as he pulled the barricades apart with sheer might. "And like that, your world just got a bit bigger."

"Thank you, Ilima," Asalie said with a smile before asking, "Are there any more trials I have to go through here?"

"I'm the only trial captain on Melemele, so this will be the only trial you'll go through on this island," he answered. "If you'd like to pass through the barricades after you beat the captains, just show them your trainer passport with our seal and they'll let you through."

"Right..." she nodded before she winced at something cutting into her hand- the Normalium-Z glowed in her hand and there was a bruise on her palm from where she had clutched. "Oops," she muttered, putting it into her bag properly.

"I've used my own Z-Crystals to learn Pokemon's moves- they're super powerful and the Z-Crystals and be used over and over again," Kukui jumped in. "But Z-Moves themselves can only be used per battle because they exhaust the Pokemon AND the trainer- not just physically but emotionally, since trainers pack a heap of feelings into the move themselves."

"Well, that explains why you always look so ragged," Ilima remarked.

"Oh yeah- Ilima, there were some punks from Team Skull in the trial area!" Asalie suddenly remembered and exclaimed. "They were trying to mess up the trial site- they even said they were trying to sabotage my own trial!"

But to her surprise, neither Ilima nor Kukui looked particularly surprised or worried at this news. "I see- thank you for telling us, Asalie."

"Okay, does everyone in Alola just brush their antics aside? I mean, I thought that berry-lady just had nerves of steel but you two don't seem that worried about it."

"Don't worry about them- they're just a group of small-time thugs that don't have anything better to do or anywhere to go," Ilima assured her. "They might try to act tough but the moment things go wrong, they'll run away. Not to mention in practically every endeavor they try to go off on always fails."

Asalie frowned at this news before Kukui gave a shocked exclamation, "Aw shoot I forgot!"

"Huh?"

"I left Lillie somewhere on Route 3!"

"You WHAT?!" Asalie shrieked, worried for the blonde- she wasn't even a trainer and she was already further ahead of Asalie in an area of strong Pokemon! "We gotta go find her right now!"

At that, she ran past the barricade, Kukui following at a slower pace.

 _It's still surprising- both of her Pokemon have gained a remarkable amount of strength since I last saw them,_ Ilima thought as he watched them leave. _Her adaptability is impressive and her resolve is tremendous- it seems that Professor Kukui was right in placing his trust in her. But that still doesn't explain what I saw..._

* * *

"Lillie! Lillie!"

Asalie ran down the route as fast as she could, looking anywhere she could. _She's not that hard to spot- she even told me she always keeps repels on her to ward off Pokemon,_ she thought, trying to stave down the panic.

 _But what about trainers?_ the thought came up more than she liked.

The brunette forced the panic down, panting harshly through her teeth. Pell was currently flying through the air while Bishop hovered about, keeping their eye open.

 **"Bzzt!"** Bishop suddenly exclaimed, tugging on Asalie's arm towards a small passageway. Signaling the Rowlet down, they went through the passageway.

"Nebby! Nebby, please come back!" she heard Lillie's voice and Asalie put in another burst of speed until she had made it through.

The blonde was standing on an incline that looked over a field of bright yellow flowers with a scent that reminded Asalie of honey. "Lillie!" Asalie called with relief, causing Lillie to turn to her in surprise and relief.

"Ah... Asalie, thank goodness!" she said with a sigh before gesturing to the other side of the field- Nebby was playing in the flowers happily. "Please, bring Nebby back- I don't want them to get into trouble, especially with the wild Pokemon. They don't have any moves they can use to battle!"

"No problem!" Asalie affirmed before looking at Pell. "Do you think you can fly over there?"

Pell nodded and flew over to Nebby, making the Cosmog pause. Then the Rowlet gently plucked up Nebby and flew them over to the two girls where Pell dropped them into Lillie's arms and settled on Asalie's head.

"Oh, you- stop going off like that!" the blonde gently scolded them. "Now back into the bag please, Nebby- I know there's not that many people, but that's still no excuse!"

 **"Pew..."** Nebby sighed as they hopped back into the bag.

"Thank you, Asalie and Pellimore," Lillie turned to them with a little bow. "You made it through here- that must mean you cleared Captain Ilima's trial."

"That's right," the brunette affirmed before bringing out of Normalium-Z to show her.

"Amazing... I came through here because I heard that there were Oricorio here."

"What are those?"

"They're special bird Pokemon who migrate between the four islands- when exposed to the nectar of certain flowers, they undergo a form change and even change primary types," the blonde explained.

"'Form change'? So they don't actually evolve, right?"

"That's right. We should get going though- I'm sorry for the trouble you had to go through-"

Asalie shook her head at that immediately. "Come on," she said, holding her hand out to the blonde, which she took and they left.

* * *

"Lillie! Asa!" Hau greeted them when they came back to Route 3.

"Oh hey," Asalie greeted back. "You got through the trial too?"

"Yep!"

"I don't really understand how hard it must have been, but I think it's still a great achievement for you both," Lillie said with a smile.

"Heh- I bet old Hala must be rubbing his hands with glee right about now," Kukui chuckled at the green-haired boy's cheer.

"Why?"

"After you beat all the trial captains on an island, you get to fight the kahuna- that's my _tutu!"_ Hau explained. "It's the Grand Trial!"

Asalie felt sweat break out on her temple- she had to fight another huge battle today?! She looked back at her team to see them looking surprised but excited, even Bishop. "So, do we have to go back to Iki Town right now?"

"Don't worry- here, I'll show you guys something cool!" Kukui assured her and took out a pager- _Who uses pagers in this day and age?_ Asalie wondered- and typed in a few buttons. "Our ride should be here in ten minutes!"

"Okay!"

Asalie nodded at that, going to sit down to catch her breath. Lillie joined her, though she leaned against the rock wall as so not to get her dress dirty. "Are you okay? You're sweating quite a bit."

"I just found out that I have to battle the leader of this island," the brunette said, eyes shifting back and forth. "And the last battle I had at Iki Town- well, you were there..."

"That was then- but this is now," Lillie said with a little smile. "I'm sure you, Pellimore and Bishop will do fine. Oh, here."

At this, she searched her bag and pulled out a handkerchief. Aslie accepted it and pressed it against her face- it felt smooth against her skin and smelt like lavender. "Thank you," she said, about to hand it back to Lillie but the blonde shook her head. "You need it more than I do- and I have spares."

Asalie couldn't help the smile on her face, thinking of one of the games where the knight was given a token from the lady whose behalf he fought for. _First thing I get back home, I'm washing this and then I am never letting go of this._

Finally, Asalie heard something whooshing in the wind- she looked up to try to find the car but saw nothing. Well, that wasn't entirely accurate- she did see a giant Dragonite with multiple saddles on it's back settle on the ground. "Here- strap this on!" Kukui said as he laid down what looked to be armor, knee and elbow pads and helmet.

"No way- we're gonna ride a dragon! That's so cool!" Hau cheered as he strapped on the items.

Lillie fumbled with hers for a bit before Kukui moved in to help her- Ilima showed Asalie how to put them on, her hands were shaking too much. This was getting to be too much already, she drew the line at flying- but she didn't want to backtrack! Also being seating in front of Lillie on the Dragonite had her heart racing for better reasons.

"Ready?!" Kukui asked the three.

"Set!" Hau exclaimed.

"Um- all right!" Lillie stuttered.

Asalie could only give a thumbs up, not trusting herself to speak.

"Okay Dragonite- take us to Iki Town!" Kukui requested the adorable dragon.

It nodded back and gave what appeared to be a thumbs up before it rose to it's full height- Asalie felt Lillie cling to her from behind tightly and new Butterfree came into her stomach.

"Here- we- gooooooooooo!" Kukui yelled as they took off to the skies.

 _I DID NOT ASK FOR THIS BULLSHIT_

* * *

I forgot the level cap and got Pell and Bishop both to level 17 before fighting lvl. 12 Gumshoos- both grew to lvl. 18 before we left the cavern ._.


	10. Chapter 10

Gigarot: I think most people'd be a little freaked out in doing what she's doing.

lychee-ran: You'll see :)

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: It's certainly unique :D

Ironically enough, that's how I originally intended to write them- calm, focused and calculating.

Sweet buttery Jesus O_O

Go right on ahead- perhaps we could collab to write them meeting and fighting?

Cottonmouth25: Wait, what? (Looks back)

Okay, I foxed the typo

\- fixed ^^;

She done good ^_^

LILMATE: 8D

* * *

"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Hau exclaimed happily, jumping off Dragonite's back. "I can't wait to fly again!"

Lillie collapsed onto her knees, hand on her chest as she tried to batch her breath, shaking. "I can," she got out.

"Ha-ha! Thanks a bunch, Dragonite- nothing like a brisk flight!" Kukui thanked the dragon before it went off to rest for a bit.

Asalie shakily took the armor off her without a word. **"What's the big idea, stuffing me away when my sweet Ilima-"** Rotom-Dex snapped before they saw how much she was shaking. **"You okay, toots?"**

She was about to reply when her stomach heaved and she fell onto her side and threw up. "Whoa!" Hau said in concern and rubbed her back gently- Lille shied away from the vomit, nose wrinkling. "Maybe we should wait a bit for her to recover properly..."

* * *

"Star, welcome back!" Ashwin said excitedly before noticing how fatigued and nauseous she looked.

"Sorry Asa's dad- she's not feeling well," Hau apologized, having the brunette lean on. "Can you help her?"

With that, the two helped her into her room and wrapped her blanket around her before leaving some of her favorite movies and snacks. "If you need anything else, just ask- love you!" he said before leaving the room.

Pell, Bishop and Rotom-Dex curled up next to her as the three of them settled back into the room- for Bishop, this was their first time in Asalie's home and they were a bit nervous. **"Koo-oo,"** Pell cooed gently, trying to help ease their anxiety.

Asalie leafed through the movies, pleased with the selection and eager to get her mind off of the last hour. She had finished Ilima's trial while encountering Team Skull, experienced a great burst of adrenaline and then flew on a freaking Dragonite. The events on their own would be draining but with all of them happening in a row was too much for her.

 **"Ooh, ooh! This one, this one!** " Rotom-Dex exclaimed, pointing to one of the movies.

Asalie smile turned into a grin before popping it in. Being able to relax in her room after sleeping in the Pokemon Centers was a balm that she welcomed- being surrounded what was familiar and comforting along with the three who knew her well enough was an added bonus.

 **"You'll be a de-e-nti-i-st! You have a talent for causing things PAIN! (Pain!)"**

 **"Son, be a de-e-nti-i-ist! People will pay you to be in-hu-MANE! (Inhumane!)"**

 _I forgot how much this movie rocks,_ she thought, gently soothing a hand over Bishop as they hid under her blanket.

Outside the room, Hau and Ashwin had both settled for a bit as both were rather tired from their day- the brunet had also taken this time to ask the green-haired boy about Asalie's journey.

"That's incredible," Ashwin said as Hau finished up. "To think my little star's about to challenge Hala of all people..."

He rubbed his temple, the dark circles around his eyes all the more prominent. "I only wish I could have been able to see more."

"It's okay- Asa told us you were working hard," Hau assured him. "Besides, _tutu_ is always doing his best as kahuna so I know how it is."

"Oh right- Hala's your grandfather..."

Ashwin trailed off as he looked over at Asalie's bedroom door. "What's wrong?" Hau asked.

"Has she been doing okay since she left?"

"Huh? Well, she's been doing pretty well, I think- she's got a great team and soon she'll be doing the Grand Trial-"

"That's not what I mean," the brunet cut off the green-haired boy off. "Is she-"

However, a vibrating sound suddenly cut Ashwin off and he grabbed his cellphone with an irritated expression. "I'm so sorry, could you hold that thought? My boss gets pissed if we let his calls go to voicemail," he apologized to Hau.

He went to the other side of the kitchen and flipped open his phone. "Hello Branch Chief?" he asked only for someone's voice to snap irritably on the other end. "I humbly apologize for taking so long to answer," he gritted out before the other end continued. "Wait, now?!" he exclaimed in surprise.

The other end sounded garbled and Ashwin rubbed his temple wearily. "I understand Branch Chief- I'll be over as soon as possible."

He hung up the phone, expression dark with frustration. "Work?" Hau asked sympathetically.

"Yeah- the Branch Chief insists they need me back at the base," he said with a groan before casting a worried glance at Asalie's door.

He moved to go towards it but then stopped and took the pad on the table to write her a note and leave a bit of cash. "All right- you have a good night then Hau," he said, setting his gear and hat back on.

"Yeah- good night, Asa's dad!" Hau said as they both departed the house.

"Hau!"

The green-haired boy stopped at the brunet's voice called out to him one more time. "Yeah?"

"Take care of Asalie for me!"

Hau smiled at this. "Will do!" before he ran off.

* * *

 _The next day..._

* * *

Asalie yawned blearily- Pell, Bishop and Rotom-Dex were spread out over the blankets and pillows and the sun was shinning through the window.

"Hey guys," she murmured, gently tapping the Rowlet and Magnemite- the two woke up and yawned a bit.

The brunette went into the kitchen to get them all some breakfast and found the note. Sorry star, the boss called me back- here's some money in case you're getting low. Dad

Asalie frowned softly and wrote down a thank you note and tucked the money away. She took out the food for her team and herself and set it up so they could eat together.

 **"I don't care if you have a thing for extracting enamal- one day you will be mine,"** Rotom-Dex declared, kissing the cover bit with leather clad Steven Martin while Pell and Bishop ate.

After they finished eating, Asalie cleaned herself up and got a load of laundry going. Once that was done, she cleaned up their breakfast dishes and went outside.

"Hey Asa- feeling better?" Hau greeted her from outside the porch alongside Lillie.

"Yeah," she affirmed with a thumbs up before she sagged. "I never wanna leave the ground again though."

The three of them walked over to Iki Town where Hala was waiting for her, a Mankey, Makuhita and Crabrawler behind him. I've been expecting you for some time, Asalie- now if you would allow me to properly greet you..."

His feet smashed down onto the stage like a sumo wrestler, shaking the wood beneath them.

"I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele island!" he declared and held a poke-ball aloft. "It's time to show you and your team's full power in the Grand Trial! Old Hala's not gonna hold anything back! Will you still fight?!"

"Y-yes!" Asalie declared, Pell taking the stage in front of her- her fists shook but she held her ground.

"Then..." he smashed his feet down even harder, making the stage vibrate. "LET THE GRAND TRIAL BEGIN! GO IPO!"

The Mankey jumped onto the stage and danced about, fists raised and claws unsheathed. Pell flapped her wings and flew into the sky, waiting for a chance to strike.

"Focus energy!" Hala ordered and Ipo closed her eyes tightly as she focused.

"Razor leaf- break her concentration!" Asalie ordered- Pell slashed down the attack and Ipo's focus was broken by the attack.

"Jump and use pursuit!" Hala barked- Ipo leaped onto the air and smacked into Pell before she could dodge, taken back by her speed.

"Kale, come forth!" Hala called and the Makuhita jumped into the ring, smacking his fists together with a grin.

"Can you still fight, Pell?" Asalie asked and the Rowlet nodded with a determined grin. "Okay, then use-"

"Fake out!"

The Makuhita shot right in front of Pell and smashed his palms against either side of her head, making her squawk in surprise and fall over. "Now use arm thrust!" Hala barked.

Kale smashed his fists forward and hit Pell twice, nearly knocking her off the battle stage- luckily, she was able to gather herself and come to a halt before falling off. "Fly up- get out of range!" Asalie called out and the Rowlet took to the skies, albeit with some difficulty.

"Now- dive in and use peck!" she ordered and Pell divebombed Kale, knocking him back with the force of her attack. "Don't give him an inch- use razor leaf!"

The Rowlet sent the attack and Kale was nearly forced off the battle stage, panting with exertion. "Here!" Hala tossed a super potion over to the Makuhita and healed him.

"Damn!" Asalie muttered before calling out, "Keep using razor leaf!"

Pell sent down more leaves and Kale held his arms up to defend against the onslaught- however, he didn't count on the attack scoring a critical hit and he was down before he even realized it.

"Well done!" Hala barked. "Now let's finish this, Mano!"

The Crabrawler scuttled to battle position, gaze focused. as his fists were raised.

 _This is his last Pokemon, and Pell's still doing all right and Bishop's at full health!_ "Okay Pell, use-"

However, Hala's arms were suddenly raised in an x aross his head before they shot forward into fists as though he were punching a wall, hips moving forward to give more momentum. At this, orange light surrounding Mano and Asalie had the same sensation as when she was fighting the Gumshoos- a grin spread across her face without her even realizing it.

 **"All-Out Pummeling!"** Hala bellowed- Mano bellowed alongside him and before Asalie could even blink, the Crabrawler's fists smashed over and over into Pell faster than her eyes could keep track.

The attack was so strong, it ended up destroying part of the stage before Pell was able to fly away from the last bit of the attack. However, the damage had been done- the Rowlet struggled to stay on her feet but collapsed on the stage, unconscious and covered in bruises from the onslaught.

"Pell!" Asalie cried out, the adrenaline gone with the sweep of worry and fear at her starter's condition- she ran to the Rowlet's side and gently cradled the grass owl.

"Will you continue this fight? You still have one Pokemon left, do you not?" Hala asked.

The brunette's teeth gritted together and turned to Bishop, who was sweating harshly. But when they met her eyes, the Magnemite shakily floated onto the battle stage- Mano's eyes gleamed and Bishop looked close to fainting.

"Bishop, you can do this," Asalie said softly and the Magnemite's eye widened before they seemed to calm down.

"Bubble!" Hala ordered, Mano sending out several bubbles towards Bishop- it wouldn't knock them out but it would negate their sturdy ability.

"Magnet bomb- burst them and push him back!" Asalie ordered and the magnets smashed into the bubbles and through them into Mano, stunning him. "Thunderwave!"

Bishop quickly sent a paralyzing wave of electricity at Mano, hindering his movements. However he was still able to move enough so when Hala ordered, "Rock smash!" he knocked Bishop back.

The Magnemite panted harshly from the pain, barely a sliver of health left in them. "You're doing great- keep using thundershock!" Asalie shouted, making them snap out of it.

Mano struggled to fight back but thunder wave kicked in and paralyzed his movements, allowing Bishop to hammer in thundershock after thundershock as fast as they could until the Crabrawler collapsed, unable to continue.

"YES!" Asalie shrieked, running to scoop Bishop into her arms before bringing her healing supplies out. "I'm so proud of you both- you were AMAZING!"

"WHOO! Way to go!" Hau cheered happily.

"Well done, everyone!" Lillie called with a smile.

Hala brought Mano back. "Well done," he said before turning to Asalie. "This comes as no surprise to me- you've become a fine trainer and have gained a fine team!"

Asalie was about to reply back when a piercing, **"TAPU KO-KO!"** resounded over the area.

She jumped in surprise at the cry, recognizing it on the spot. "And it seems our mighty guardian agrees! Perhaps it's hoping that one day you become strong enough to engage in battle with it?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, okay?" Asalie said with a nervous laugh, though her pride shone through.

Hala laughed as well and crossed over to her before holding an orange crystal with a fist insignia to her. "This is Fightinium-Z- now observe, Asalie."

After the brunette took the Z-Crystal, Hala swept his arms up and then smashed them forward as if punching, moving his hips and back forth with his movements. "This will allow you to use All-Out Pummeling. And before I forget-"

The kahuna held one last object to Asalie- a white ring bracelet with the shinning stone fashioned to hold Z-Crystals! "Ilima brought it to me to carve out and I only finished just before you came back," he told her.

"Thank you both," Asalie said, slipping the ring onto her left wrist.

"With this, you have cleared all the available trials of Melemele island- now if you can just get out your passport-"

Asalie fished the book out of her bag- she had all but forgotten the item and the dust on it showed. Hala took out his seal and put it on the page. "This shows your accomplishment and will even allow more unruly Pokemon to obey your commands."

"The moon in the daytime... the sun at night- can you pour your heart into something that cannot be seen but is as real as you and me? As you go on, consider what makes up the people and Pokemon you meet: Both what you can and cannot see. If you do this, then you will meet Tapu Koko again."

* * *

Asalie lied down on her bed to look up at the ceiling- she still couldn't believe what had happened yesterday and today.

 _It's only been a few months since I got here and I've already got the equivalent to a gym badge and beating an Elite Four member,_ she thought before closing her eyes- even just thinking about it made it more surreal.

She looked at the two poke-balls on her desk- Pell and Bishop were both resting in Ashwin's room, as Asalie wanted to give them somewhere nice to sleep off their battle and she needed to be alone for a bit.

* * *

 _"Moving?!"_

 _Ashwin nodded- they were in the main room of their apartment building with Astin on the couch and Asalie sitting on one of the chairs while Ashwin stood by the door. "I'm being promoted to work at our main HQ in the Alola region- I'm expected to be there in a month's time," he told them._

 _"That's great- congratulations!" Astin said immediately with a smile._

 _"Wait a minute, we have to leave Kanto then?!" Asalie asked._

 _"Yes-"_

 _"But- but what about our stuff, our apartment, our-"_

 _Asalie couldn't go on, the prospect of being away from everything she knew and was familiar with- leaving behind_ her- _was already making cold panic settle in her body._

 _"Star-"_

 _"I'M NOT GOING! I WON'T LEAVE M-"_

* * *

"Asalie?"

The brunette looked up to see Lillie peeking into her room- she quickly got up to go meet her. "Hey Lillie," she greeted her with a smile before she noticed how nervous the blonde looked, her hands trembling around the bag strap.

"I- I need to ask a favor from you," she said.

"What's up?"

"Well, I told you that Nebby came from somewhere far away and that I was trying to help them get back there?"

"You said they saved your life when you were in trouble."

"Yes- so I want to pay them back for helping me finding their home."

Lillie looked down sadly. "But I've had no luck- I feel like I can't do anything unless I'm a trainer as well..."

"That's bullshit," Asalie said immediately. "You've been traveling and you even made it farther than me without completing Ilima's Trial- I wish I could go as far as you like that sometimes!"

Lillie blushed at the praise and Asalie had to physically strain herself not to squeal at how adorable she looked or yell in triumph for making her crush blush.

"Even still, you don't have to agree- I've already gotten you into so much trouble before..."

"Lillie."

The brunette leaned out her window and put her hands on her shoulders. "Do you hear me saying no?"

The blonde looked up at the brunette in surprise. "So you'll really help me?!"

"Damn right I will!"

"Oh thank you so much!" she cried, hugging Asalie tightly. "I really didn't know what else to do- thank you, Asalie!"

Asalie's face was bright red at the contact and a weak giggle escaped her. "S-so, we'll be going to the next island together, right?"

"Right!"

* * *

I had to split the chapter up, I'm afraid ^^;


	11. Chapter 11

Cottonmouth25: HOLY PLOT TWIST, BATMAN 8D

But I did drop hints in earlier chapters, mostly revolving around his uniform.

Gigarot: The music for Sun/Moon is really good, I agree- gives off a Mystery Dungeons Vibe sometimes.

Also the violins in Lusamine's first battle theme are my favorite.

theoneandonlylordmonkeyk night: You can message me via PM for finer details.

I mentioned earlier that Asalie's disdainful of dogs/ dog-like creatures (Chapter 3)

TheHolyBlade: Well, that's something ._.

Sol D. Mars: Thanks- I did my best to make it challenging.

Even in-game with my Dartix at lvl. 18, it was still challenging 0_0;

* * *

 **"Moo-aaarrr!"**

"FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

Asalie clung onto the Tauros as he slammed through the route like a juggernaut, smashing apart the rocks around Ten Carat Hill with ease.

After the battle with Hala, the old kahuna had given Asalie the same ride pager that Kukui used- while it didn't have a Dragonite on it, it did have a Tauros. The same Tauros Hala had carried away with his bare hands in Hau'oli City.

For the past month, Asalie had been taking lessons on how to ride Tauros- or rather, Pilipo, as Hau had nicknamed him- how to assemble the ride gear/ saddle and how to use Pilipo to smash across the rocks that had obstructed parts of the route before. Hau learned alongside her, though he was often as freaked out as she was when riding. That made her feel a lot better than it was probably healthy.

"All right, let's take a break!" Kukui called with a laugh as Pilipo ground to a halt by his lab, kicking up sand.

Kukui was a great help in this regard, as he showed them how to handle Pilipo as well as showing them the other ride Pokemon they would eventually add. While Dragonite had flown off and they had no Lapras or Machamp on hand, the professor gave them both information in how to ride them so they wouldn't be caught off guard once they required said Pokemon.

Asalie collapsed on her back, swirls in her eyes and a weak, crazed giggle in her throat. "Oh dear, " Lillie fretted and helped the brunette to her feet. "Here, lean on me."

Of course, the lessons' benefits out-weighed the possible injuries, vertigo and loss of sanity that came with riding Pokemon. Lillie was able to get the Ruins of Conflict and learn more of the lore around Tapu Koko- however, it forwarded no answers to help Nebby get home.

* * *

["So, you'll be heading over to the next island then?"] Ashwin said over the phone- Asalie returned home around 9 at night and managed to finally get a hold of her father.

"Yeah- well, not yet at least. I've still got to learn how to ride Pilipo, I need to get my passport and supplies and money in order, and I need to get a third team member," Asalie listed off what she needed to do.

["Well, just be careful- and try to call us when you can if you need anything, okay?"]

"Yeah, I gotcha."

["I'm really sorry I had to leave- and I'm really sorry I won't be able to see you off-"]

"It's okay- I know you're trying your best. And your boss is a total bitch."

["He really is!"] Ashwin laughed before he stopped and Asalie heard someone yelling over in the distance. ["Speak of the devil- I gotta get back to my shift. Love you, star."]

"Love you."

A click later and Asalie set down the phone and flopped on her bed- for all the talk of relaxing and taking in the comforts of home, she was doing very little of either. Rather, she was focusing on being ready for the next island and researching what she could.

Information of the trials never made it online and the trial captains were changed every time they reached a certain age, so the trials and the captains themselves were changed consistently. Asalie remembered Hau telling her that the kahunas of the island were chosen by the guardian deity Pokemon and that there was literally no choice to take it.

 _When it's put like that, I can see why his dad left- but it's still inexcusable to leave his son behind like that,_ she had thought with a frown.

Aside from that, she had restocked her supplies and looked over what she could bring to the next island without tearing a hole in her bag.

Ashwin had become more and more busy at work but still sent money and knick-knacks over to the house- Astin had gotten a job at the Trainer School along with Kekoa and was bringing the blond over for dinner now.

"Look at you- you've got friends like Lillie and Hau, you've got Pokemon and you're trying to live every day to the fullest," Astin said, tears in his eyes. "You're fuckin' incredible, Asa."

Asalie beamed at the praise, tears in her eyes as well. She wiped at her eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you Astin."

"So long as your happy- oh hey, you got a package!"

The brunette saw the item on the table and looked it over- the address from was from her old friend's house!

Asalie swiftly retreated into her room and started opening it up- inside was a sturdy looking chain necklace with a jet black crystal attached to it. Her eyes widened in surprise- this was her friend's favorite necklace!

She saw the letter and opened it up.

Hey Asa-

Sorry it's taken this long to get back to you- truth is, I'm a trainer now!

Asalie had to pause for a few moments to actually let this sink in before going on.

I know- crazy, right? We both met each other because we didn't want to play "trainers" with the other kids.

Now here I am, a trainer with two whole badges! That's right, I beat Brock and Misty and I'm resting in the Daycare Center outside of Cerulean City as I'm writing this!

The brunette couldn't help the prideful smile on her face.

Thing is, I'm not doing this to be the best or be a strong trainer or anything- 

See after you left, Professor Oak came over to our school to talk about the benefits of his research into Pokemon and how there were a lot of different wants to interact with them.

But then at the end of his lecture, he said that being a trainer wasn't all there are different kinds of trainers and occupations- he told us that we could take whatever path we wanted.

You're probably rolling your eyes at me right now, but I was seriously inspired by that. Being told I could do what I want really made me happy.

 _I know how that feels,_ she thought, smile softer.

So how does this translate to being a trainer? Well I decided to pursue an internship with Professor Oak and I'm trying to catch Pokemon for him so we can update the pokedex further. 

And I may have met this guy named Ryuki who looks really badass and uses dragon types who wants to be a musician- OKAY I ALSO WENT ON THE JOURNEY TO IMPRESS HIM, SUE ME

Asalie sweat-dropped as she read this part, though she completely sympathized with her.

As for the badges, they're just so when I catch stronger or more unruly Pokemon they won't kill or maim me. Brock and Misty even pointed out locations to catch rare Pokemon after I beat them!

Now that isn't to say I haven't had hiccups yet- being a trainer is HARD. I barely bathe, it's weird sleeping in new places, the Pokemon Center's plumbing is shit, being attacked by Pokemon on the side-

Asalie froze as she read the next sentence.

\- and I even had to fight off some Team Rocket thugs in Mt. Moon!

Anyone who paid attention to the world knew who Team Rocket was- the infamous Mafia formerly run by Don Giovanni, formerly the Viridian Gym Leader, had been destroyed by Red. To hear that her friend had run into them before was troubling to say the least.

Nothing bad happened, though- I was actually able to beat them back!

Anyways, I hope Alola's treating you well- sorry again I haven't been able to get back to you earlier!

With love, Cece

Along with the letter, Asalie found a photo- in the center of them was a girl with teal-blue hair in pigtails, amber eyes and freckled skin wearing a bright orange jacket with yellow star on the front, baggy blue skirt, black leggings and brown boots and laces with a Clefairy and Nidorana in front of a house with fence and baby Pokemon behind it.

Next to her was a most bizarre looking bow with spiky white and red hair in a ponytail that reached his knees with bangs that obscured his eyes, tanned skin, smile that clearly had fangs and a red shirt and pants with black fingerless gloves and boots. "Arceus Almighty," she said incredulously. "Good luck with him, Cece..."

* * *

A week later, Asalie felt like she was starting to get the hang of riding Pilipo- if only because she no longer felt nauseous when they smashed down rocks and she could remember where to put the gear on her body. She was also able to backtrack across the routes and smash apart the rocks on Route 2, 3 and Verdant Cavern to find more items.

She continued taking pictures and sending them to Kaila, though she took some time since she tried to get the best shots she could during so- her most recent ones being of the end of Ten Carat Hill. The clearing had wildflowers, abundant Pokemon and a clear shot of the sky where some birds and flying types passed over. Asalie could spend hours there taking pictures or training her Pokemon.

One day was particularly sunny and Asalie sighed at the feeling of the sun on her skin- Pilipo was grazing, Pell was flying about and Bishop and Rotom-Dex were... talking? Well, communicating through electricity. She pulled out her bag and pulled out some energy bars- raisin and her newest favorite, macadamia nut- and starting munching on them while leafing through the photos she had taken that day.

"Send, send, send- nope, nope- send- nope, nope, nope, definitely nope-" she muttered between bites as she sorted out what to give Kaila and what to send to Cece, as she was still trying to write something back to her friend.

 **"Ruff!"**

Asalie looked up at the noise to see a scruffy Rockruff with her bag handle in it's mouth. "Hey! Heyheyhey!" she snapped, yanking the bag back from the Rockruff- however the puppy Pokemon held on tightly even as Asalie pulled the bag back to her and the rock type hung off the ground.

"Little help, Pell?!" she asked and the Rowlet gripped the Rockruff with her talons and tried to yank it off- finally, Asalie got her bag bag, albeit with fang marks and Pell immediately sunk to the ground under the Rockruff's weight and her small wingspan.

 **"Ruff-ruff!"** the Rockruff barked before trying to nibble on her wings only for Pell to send a razor leaf at the puppy Pokemon.

Unfortunately this did little to deter the Rockruff as it immediately went for Asalie's again. "Hey- no! No, you can't have this!" Asalie snapped, holding her bag out of reach of the puppy Pokemon while it jumped on her lap for leverage.

 **"Bzzt!"** Bishop snapped, lifting the puppy Pokemon off of Asalie's lap with their magnets and set them down on the other side of the field- only for the Rockruff to run right back to them.

 _"Oh for fuck's sake-_ GO. AWAY," Asalie yelled/enunciated the words at the puppy Pokemon but the rock type only panted with excitement, a dumb and hopeful smile on it's face before trying to bite at her bag again.

"Dammit, leave me the hell alone!" she snapped, standing up to keep the bag out of the puppy Pokemon's grasp.

Finally, Pilipo just loomed over the Rockruff and sent it yelping away. Asalie gave a groan, her peace ruined- she gathered up her things and put away the photos she would send off and returned Pell and Bishop to their poke-balls before boarding the Taurus and riding away, good mood evaporated.

 _Stupid mutt..._

* * *

Another few days passed and finally, Asalie was as ready as she could be to leave. She checked and rechecked her supplies and information, she had already sent Kaila and Cece their photos and letter respectively, she was able to say goodbye to her family- there was nothing left to do but head out.

"Asa!"

Hau and Lillie waved to her from the harbor and Asalie waved back as she ran up to them. Kukui was leaning against one of the pillars as he waved lazily while his Rokcruff barked excitedly.

"Hey everyone!" she greeted as she ran up to them. "So, where's the ship?"

"Right here!" Kukui declared and Asalie's smile froze as she realized their ship was a tiny sailboat.

"Um, you sure this old thing's seaworthy?" Hau asked.

 _OH COURSE IT'S OLD TOO_

"Hey, don't be calling my boat old- call her a classic, or well-seasoned at least, yeah?" Kukui protested with a huff.

"I quite like that it has a history- did you use it in your days as a trainer, Professor?" Lillie asked.

"You got it- used it to sail across Alola, yeah!" the Professor affirmed before asking, "So Asalie, you ready to head out?"

"... let's just go," Asalie said, face blue in terror but resigned to her fate.

"All right then- time to sail away!"

"WOO!" Hau cheered. "We-e-e-'re ooooff!"

They got on the boat and Kukui managed the sails and Asalie and Hau clung to the rails of the ship- however the brunette quickly felt queasy and knelt down closer to the cabin. She wasn't feeling as sick as she thought she would, though that might have had to do with the lessons in riding Pilipo- on the other hand, she was captivated by what little she could see of the sheer mass of the sea before her. Lillie joined them for a few minutes, holding tightly to the rails by the boat's cabin.

"Come on, grandma- kick it up a notch!" Hau yelled over the noise.

"If we push the ship any harder, then we might all end up in the sea!" Lillie shouted to him, trying to hold her hat to her head.

"Aw, you're just worried that silly hat'll be lost to the waves!"

Asalie didn't bother to warn him of the Pyukumuku that was on the next wave as it hit Hau in the face. When Asalie noticed her arms were shaking, she placed her hand over one of the blonde's and gave her a little grin- she might as well share her adrenaline and hope she wouldn't vomit on her crush. Lillie smiled weakly and her other hand came to grip at her bag as the two watched the sea together.

 _What will the next island be like?_ the brunette wondered, feeling anticipation start to crawl in her belly- Melemele was one of the smaller islands in Alola, with Poni island being the smallest (but with the most ferocious Pokemon in the region) while Akala island was the largest.

Just then, they passed over a rather large bump and Asalie gagged as she felt bile rise into her throat. she quickly flailed to get Lillie away from her before throwing up over the rails (while an unfortunate swimmer's good day was brought to a screeching halt by the projectile of vomit in their face).

By the time they got to Akala island, the sun was starting to set. They got off the boat, Asalie still green in the face from the trip- Lillie let the brunette lean on her as they got off the sailboat

 **"You've made it to Akala, clever girl!"** Rotom-Dex exclaimed. **"This means we've got a whole new island pokedex! I'll do my best to keep you updated, Asalie!"**

Asalie gave a weak smile and a thumbs up before they returned to her bag.

"Land ahoy!" Hau cheered as he let the Pyukumuku jump back into the sea. "Akala Island, here I come!"

"Isn't it a bit late to declare 'land ahoy' when you're already on shore?" Lillie asked weakly.

"Jeez, aren't you a stick in the sand today, Lillie! Help me out here, Asa- that was funny right?!"

"... you were trying to be funny?" she asked weakly before her stomach heaved and she barely swallowed back the bile in her throat.

Hau's smile fell right off and he gave her a "really?" look before turning to Kukui. "What about you, Prof.?"

Kukui's glasses glinted in the remaining light, silent. "Uh, Professor?" Lillie asked in concern.

"The land is certainly ahoy, oh boy!" he declared with hands on his hips and cheery grin.

Lillie, Hau and Asalie all blinked at this- eyes temporarily little black dots- before Nebby burst out laughing. Hau followed suit and Asalie couldn't help the snicker in her throat. "That was _terrible-!"_ she gasped out, hands on her knees before she had to duck to a trash can and vomit out the remaining content in her stomach.

The blonde looked at them with a half baffled half worried expression before a woman remarked, "Still haven't managed to find a shirt that goes with your labcoat, hmm Kukui? You're going to give someone a scare like that someday..."

Lillie's baffled expression vanished and she said softly but sternly, "Nebby, back in the back."

"It's okay, Lillie," Kukui assured her. "You can trust them."

Asalie looked up to see the newcomers only for her mouth to drop open- a voluptuous dark skinned woman with short black hair and black eyes, pink top covering her upper chest, short magenta shorts, silhouette heels and multiple earrings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets hanging from and around her ears, neck, wrists and ankles. By her side was an older girl with bright green hair in downward pigtails and a pink flower in her hair, green eyes and wearing a gray sleeveless jumper with short shorts and sandals.

"It's nice to meet you all- I'm Olivia," the woman said with a friendly smile.

"Hey, thanks for stopping by! I'm Mallow, one of the trial captains here!" the older girl chirped. "We ran into one another here and then saw you come up on that old thing-"

"Classic- or at least, well-seasoned! Come on!" Kukui protested.

"- and decided to see who he brought over this time."

Her green eyes flitted over to Hau and Asalie to look them over before chirping, "Well, don't you two look ready to cook with gas! I bet Kiawe and Lana'll be exicted to see you two too!"

"Seriously...?" Asalie asked, incredulous she had looked anything like that.

"Enjoy your time on your island challenge, kids," Olivia said. "I'll be waiting to battle you both when the time comes- and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got!"

With that, the two waved goodbye before departing. "I know she came over to see if you were doing okay- not that she'll ever admit it to anyone! Hah!" Kukai laughed. "But Olivia's a kind kahuna deep down."

He pointed to the route at the edge of the city streets. "If you decide to take the trial straightaway, head to Route 4 and keep going until you get to Paniola town, 'kay?"

"I'll just do some shopping for now- and research if any ruins like the ones on Melemele island are here too..." Lillie said.

"Gotcha- but the first place I'm goin' is the Pokemon Center!" Hau declared. "You too, right Asa?"

Asalie nodded weakly, a bit of blood running from her nose- her nausea was finally gone.

"Okay- I'll see you and Rockruff later!" the green-haired boy said before he ran down the street.

"You too- wait what," Asalie began before stopping- she looked down and saw the same scruffy Rockruff from Ten Carat Hill by her foot. "How the fuck did you get here?!"

"Ha-ha! Looks like we got ourselves a stowaway!" Kukui laughed.

 **"Ruff-ruff!"** the Rockruff by Kukui barked in excitement at seeing another of it's kind and the other's eyes brightened at the other as they began to sniff one another.

"Oh Arceus, it followed me," the brunette groaned in disbelief, prompting the scruffy Rockruff to bounce over to her, panting excitedly. "What do you want from me?!"

"I think you've got a pretty good idea what she wants, cousin!" Kukui laughed.

"She-?! Of course you know what gender it is..."

* * *

AND WE'RE ON AKALA ISLAND!

Also Cece is basically the CopyCat girl from Kanto and her appearance is based off of Duplica from the anime with adjustments to her wardrobe on my part.


	12. Chapter 12

lychee-ran: Now to convince Asalie of that...

Gigarot: Yes, Ryuki :)

You'll see...

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Well...

Lebensmude: I wanted to showcase just how powerful and terrifying they were, especially to the universe they "allegedly" destroyed in-game. And trust me when I say that they will remain ridiculously powerful- but just because something is powerful, doesn't mean that they're invincible, and that goes doubly for Asalie.

I see- I was trying to do a tone shift towards something more light-hearted. But I do see your point ^^;

Honestly, I completely enjoyed reading your review- it's the longest and most thorough I've read for my story yet. I'd happily welcome criticism in the future.

xXKaminari-TsubasaXx: You might love a puppy stalker but Asalie doesn't ^^;

Cottonmouth25: Having an animal give you attention can be a good or bad thing.

* * *

Asalie exited the boutique with some spares clothes- though she was just fine with her current outfit and changed nothing about it. She had already healed up her team and was attempting to try not to draw too much attention to herself- something the stowaway Rockruff was intent on doing.

 **"Ruff-raff!"** the puppy Pokemon barked as it- or rather, she, bounced beside the brunette as they went down the street.

 _Well, this is just wonderful,_ Asalie thought, a bitterly sarcastic smile on her face- she still had disdain for dogs and this one was not doing herself any favors.

 **"Koo?"** Pell inquired, looking between the brunette and Rockruff.

"She's not with us, we're just watching over her until we get someone to take her away," Asalie assured her out of the puppy Pokemon's hearing.

 **"Bzzt..."** Bishop murmured, looking at the Rockruff with a sad expression.

"We'll find a new teammate soon, okay?" she tried to reassure them. "And I won't let anything bad happen to her in the meantime."

They continued exploring the city- unfortunately, a rider with a Stoutland got in their way multiple times. _"Watch it, will ya?!"_ the rider yelled after the fifth time.

 _"Hey I'm walking here, jackass!"_ she yelled back.

 **"Raff-raff-raff!"** the Rockruff barked angrily- the Stoutland gave her an impassive look before riding away. _Arceus Almighty, can this day get any-_

She immediately cut herself off, not trusting herself not to jinx the rest of her day before she stopped walking by an enormous and luxurious looking hotel.

 _Holy shit, that's a fancy building- but why is Lillie going there?_ Asalie wondered.

 **"Ruff!"** the Rockruff barked as she began to run after the blonde as she went inside. "No, you stupid-!" Asalie began before sprinting after the puppy Pokemon.

Asalie was barely able to scoop the puppy Pokemon up before Lillie noticed them and she ran to the center post-haste while trying to keep the Rockruff from running towards her. She got them to the Pokemon Center and booked herself for the night.

"Miss, could you please try to calm your Rockruff down?" Nurse Joy asked.

"I'm trying," Asalie said before turning to the Rockruff. "Hey! You heard her, quiet down!"

The Rockruff only looked at her with bright blue eyes, panting away with a stupid smile on her face. Asalie rubbed her temple wearily before asking, "What can I do with Pokemon who aren't for battling right now?"

"Well, we have collars for pet Pokemon if you're interested- and leashes."

A purchase later and the Rockruff was wearing a bright blue collar and Asalie made sure that the leash's loop was around her wrist. After checking the map, she found the next town was Paniola and she rechecked over her supplies before boarding Pilipo while strapping the Rockruff in next to her.

"Hey Asa!"

Asalie got off Pilipo and let him rest as she went to meet Hau at the end of the route. Paniola Town was styled like the old west with wooden houses, fences, farm animals/Pokemon and tumbleweeds dancing across the scenery.

"Hey Hau," she greeted him with a smile before she noticed something familiar on his left wrist. "You have a Z-Ring too now?"

"Uh-huh- _tutu_ gave it to me!" Hau chirped before he stopped, expression surprised. "Wow, I still can't believe I can say that now!"

The brunette grinned. "Great job."

"Thanks- oh yeah, do you wanna have a battle after we get our teams taken care of?"

"Oh- okay."

"Really?! Great, here!"

At that, Hau took out some potions and leppa berries and div-yd them up between the Rowlet, Magnemite and Rockruff though Asalie held her back since she hadn't been in a fight and was uninjured. "It'll be like in the Wild West- we gotta fight honorably!"

"I think you're confusing Cowboys with Samurai."

"Well whatever! Let's have a good battle, Asa!"

Definitely _confusing Cowboys with Samurai._

At that, Hau brought in Pele and the Rockruff leaped onto the field before Asalie could decide to bring out someone- the puppy Pokemon barked excitedly, bounding around a very off-put Pele.

"Hey, come back-" Asalie began but Pele was already tackling the Rockruff- however, the attack itself did little against the rock type and the puppy Pokemon happily chomped on her ear.

Pele growled irritably at the puppy Pokemon's cheer and bit down on her shoulder, making the Rockruff yelp and whine from the pain. But then Pele was knocked out when the Rockruff summoned a rock from... somewhere and it landed on the Growlithe's head.

"Good job, Pele- you did great," Hau reassured the fire puppy before turning to Akela. "Think you're up for a battle?"

 **"Chu!"** the Pikachu nodded and quickly ran up.

"Okay, just get back here before-" Asalie began to order only for the Rockruff to run over to Akela. "No, dammit!"

Akela easily dodged the with quick attack before building up electricity in her tail and flinging it at the Rockruff's exposed back. The puppy Pokemon struggled to stay on her feet only to fall over with a whimper of pain.

"Bishop, come on!" Asalie ordered, pulling the Rockruff out of the fray- she might not have liked the puppy Pokemon but she still didn't want her too hurt.

"Thundershock!" Hau ordered- however, the attack barely fazed Bishop.

"Spam sonic boom!" Asalie ordered, knowing the attack only did a set amount of damage but continued onslaught would have the Magnemite emerge victorious.

"Yikes- c'mon, Konane!" Hau winced before bringing the Popplio out.

"Bishop, come back- let's go, Pell!"

The Rowlet came onto the field, expression determined. "All right, use disarming voice!" Hau called out.

"Spam razor leaf!"

Pell kept flinging the grass type attack down on Konane, not letting up until the attack smashed through disarming voice and right into the Popplio, knocking him out. "Holy shit, I won," Asalie said in amazement.

"Nice! Mind tellin' me how you came up with that battle plan?!" Hau exclaimed.

"Type advantage, grinding- levels, and the accidental inclusion of a rock type," she said, still surprised at how remarkably one-sided and anti-climactic the battle had been.

Hau laughed at this before saying, "Well, I'm not mad- I'm actually really happy for you! Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose- whether with Pokemon battles or anything else. But you're only a real loser if you don't try to enjoy yourself! Oh hey- here's a little something from me to you!"

The green-haired boy gave Asalie an indigo capsule. "This is a dire hit- it's like a focus energy but as a battle item," Hau explained. "And you know that aura that flares up around Totem Pokemon that boost their power, speed or defenses?"

 _How can I forget?_ Asalie thought, remembering the sheer adrenaline in her veins. "Yeah?"

"Well if you use things like this dire hit, that aura won't mean a thing- they'll cause the same amount of damage!"

"That Is useful- thanks a lot, Hau!" the brunette said as she pocketed it.

"No problem- let's go heal up our teams."

"Okay."

* * *

"So, how're you doing with the little guy?"

The two sat outside the center while waiting for their teams to heal up- the Rockruff was actually being healed separately since she was currently classified as a pet. "If by the little guy you mean the female Rockruff who's followed me with neither my knowledge nor consent, I'm taking her back to Melemele when I get the chance," Asalie stated.

"Aw, really?" Hau said, looking surprised and dejected. "But you said you needed a third team member and she did so well on her first battle!"

"I don't do well with dogs or dog-like Pokemon, okay? My various encounters of them have included- and not limited to- knocking down onto my back and covering my clothing in saliva, mud and/or teeth marks, destroying my video game cases and chewing on the insides and outsides and -very recently- stalking me."

Asalie heaved a sigh and sagged on her bench. "I need a team member, not a walking disaster."

"That's... really harsh, Asa- even for you," Hau admitted.

"Well, it's the truth."

"Yeah, but..."

Hau pointed behind them and Asalie got a sinking feeling as she followed the digit and saw the Rockruff peering out the door with tears in her eyes. _"Shit."_

The Rockruff was already running off now, leash dragging behind her. Asalie went to dash after her only to halt and yell back into the center, "Is my team healed?!"

"Come inside and see!" Nurse Joy snapped, unamused at the brunette's yelling.

She came back, grabbed her team, and ran out the door as fast as her legs could carry her, trying to find the Rockruff. She ran through the ranch, looking everywhere she could and asking if anyone had seen the Rockruff anywhere.

"Hey Asa, what're you looking for?"

Asalie stopped at the familiar voice and saw Mallow approaching her, holding a Milktank calf. "Have you seen a Rockruff with blue collar and leash?!" she asked.

"No, but the only route that's open right now is up ahead- you can ask the nursery if they've seen it. In fact, give me your rider page for a sec."

The brunette obeyed and the trial captain typed a few things in before handing it back- now, there was an option to ride a Stoutland.

"Stoutland can sniff out items that can't be seen by the naked eye- think of them as a living dowsing machine! If anyone can track down something, it's a Stoutland!"

Asalie didn't feel much better having another dog with her but anything to find the Rockruff would be a good idea. "Thanks!"

"No problem- and if you go to Route 5's Brooklet hill, tell Lana Mallow says hello!"

The brunette nodded hastily before running down the route. She got to the nursery just a few minutes later and rushed in. "Excuse me, but have any of you seen a Rockruff with blue collar and leash?!"

The two cowgirls shrieked at the noise before the ace-trainer brought out a Grimer- Asalie quickly held her hands up in a don't-shoot-me-sign before they actually looked at her. That was when she noticed the grim air in the place. "Uh... what's going on?" she dared to ask.

"One of our Pokemon was taken from here- our Eevee Mist!" one of the cowgirls sniffled.

"We've been waiting for the police to come..." the other cowgirl hiccuped.

"We haven't seen a Rockruff like that," the ace trainer said with a frown. "But the only route that's open right now is up ahead- there are Sudowoodo blocking the south path again right now."

"Thanks!"

She ran out of the nursery and up the path, trying not to let her panic and worry overtake her. _Just stay calm, they don't have a reason to lie, the path's pretty straightforward from the maps I read. There's no reason-_

Her thoughts stopped as Asalie smacked right into someone and was knocking onto the ground. "What the hell-?!" Asalie began to yell at the roadblock before she actually got to look at said blocker.

It was a boy a few years older than she was with one of his chartreuse eyes were hidden by his bangs and he wore a black and red hoodie, black pants and sneakers. Both articles of clothing had several clean tears in them, as though the blond took a scissors to them.

"Oh hi Asa!" Hau greeted her and she stared at him in surprise. "How did you get ahead of me?!" she exclaimed.

"Uh, I jumped over the fences. Also I tried to ask this guy if he's seen Ruby but he didn't say yet."

Asalie blinked at this before she paled. "Shit, I didn't think of that- what if she went through the fences instead of- wait, Ruby?"

"Yeah, that's what it said on her collar last I checked."

"Then why'd you call her a guy before?!"

"Well, 'Ruby''s a name for boys and girls, isn't it?"

 _"Are you even trying to take this seriously?"_

The brunette paused her ramblings as the blond snapped at Hau, hands on his hips. "If I were some scumbag, I could easily attack you like this."

"But you're not, so you won't!" Hau replied back as he healed up his team, "and I am- seriously enjoying myself!"

"'Enjoying it'?" the blond repeated with sneer. "You can enjoy battling when you can put everything you have into it- which you clearly didn't."

Asalie looked between the two of them before shaking her head- she didn't have time for this. She was about to get up and go further but the blond stood in her way- she tried to move past him but he had already taken a Golbat, Eevee and-

 _"What the hell is that?!"_ Asalie couldn't help saying as the chimera-like creature with a helmet-sledgehammer-thing covering it's head came out, too distracted to notice the possible stolen Eevee.

"Rude- do I look at your team and ask 'what the hell are those'?" the blond asked, voice cold with fury. "This is my partner, Type: Null."

Asalie arched an eyebrow at this- what kind of nickname was that? _The kind of nickname someone who cuts up their clothing to look edgier would give a chimera with a sledgehammer helmet apparently,_ immediately came the thought.

"Look I'm sorry for that, but I don't have time for this!" she snapped. "Can you please just get out of my way?!"

The blond didn't reply, resting his right elbow on his left palm as his eye closed and he took a breath. A moment later he asked, "You're Asalie?"

The brunette felt cold anxiety in her stomach at the blond knowing her full name. "Wh-who?" she got out, sweat breaking on her temple.

His hand moved to the red back on his side. "So, you do have enough sense to be wary- not bad..." he mused.

"Um... thanks?" she got out. "And you are...?"

"I'm Gladion- an enforcer for Team Skull."

"Whoa, really?!" Hau said in surprise.

Asalie's eyes narrowed in anger as she brought out her team and she snapped, "Look you're not the first grunt whose ass I've kicked and you're not gonna be the last- I just want to get by and not deal with you assholes anymore than I have to!"

"Oh, now you want to fight?"

"... shut the fuck up. Pell, Bishop-"

"Wing attack on Rowlet, pursuit on Magnemite. Swift to keep them down."

Asalie barely finished speaking when the Golbat slashed it's wings down on Pell, the Type: Null smashed Bishop across the route and then the Eevee's swift finished off the rest of their health. She stared stunned before running over to check on the two- Pell had a nasty bruise from the attack showing through her feathers while Bishop could barely see straight from the dent against their eye.

"Hmph," Gladion scowled. "You know I could attack you like this with ease and then take your Pokemon when your're all exposed like this, don't you?"

The brunette didn't even bother with a retort, too busy trying to heal her team-however, both were unconscious. Hau went to her side, holding two revives and helped her revive them properly.

Gladion rested his right palm against his forehead and his elbow against his left palm. "You idiots," he sighed with incredulity before grimacing, "This isn't enough- winning like this doesn't mean anything..."

Asalie had to physically restrain herself from yelling "Hey edgelord-wannabe, this isn't a fucking anime!" as she healed up her team the best she could. "You know, most people are pretty damn impressed at beating two trainers in a row," she spat, half in disbelief at his saying it meant nothing, half in anger that he was treating hurting her team like it meant nothing.

"What do you mean by that?" Hau asked, cocking his head a bit.

"Exactly what I said- your teams aren't weak, and it's fine to enjoy battling. But you-"

He looked at Hau with an accusatory scowl. "- are just using that as an excuse not to try hard because you can't defeat the kahuna, even when you're serious. While you-"

He looked at Asalie next and looked like he was about to say something before shaking his head. "- I don't even _want_ to get started on you."

"Well fuck you too, edge-lord."

Hau didn't lose his smile and put his hands behind his head as he chirped, "So you do know my gramps! And you think I'm strong?"

Gladion's scowl deepened. "That's not what I meant-"

"Aww, lookit lil' Gladion, E! Aren't you just the coolest guy? Heh-heh-heh-heh..." a man's voice sneered.

Asalie looked up to see two Team Skull grunts- one of them was a woman- run up them. "No surprise a homeless brat's got no spine, F," the woman agreed. "We've got more than enough backbone for you, though!"

The two grunts moved to grab their poke-balls and Asalie tensed up, only for Gladion to state, "Stand down."

"What was that?" F growled with narrowed eyes. "Think you're tough-"

"You know you can't beat me and you'll only get your team injured if you try to fight these two," he cut F off sternly.

E gave an exaggerated sigh. "So we just came all the way out to the boonies for nuthin'- let's just go!"

She turned to leave and F turned to follow her before saying, "You better listen up good, Gladion- you might be in the boss' good graces, but don't think for even a second that you'll ever be one of us. Got it?"

Gladion's gaze was steel itself, making F back away before running after E. He turned back to Asalie and said, "There's a Rockruff with blue collar and leash by Brooklet Hill- try to find her before she gets too hurt. The trial captain uses water types."

With that, he left. Asalie stared in stunned shock before yelling angrily, _"You could have told me earlier, jack-ass!"_

* * *

However, revives and potions could only do so much- Asalie and Hau both ended up having to heal them again at the center right before Brooklet Hill. During this time, she started a new section in her notebook- Team Skull.

Team Skull

Who: A group of thugs who "have nowhere to go"- according to Trial Captain Ilima. Uses generic grunts for dirty work. (Enforcers are notably stronger- see next section)

What: Steal Pokemon, items and money while sabotaging trials and trainers taking said trials.

How: By ambushing trainers and sneaking inside trial areas- at least two grunts are always seen together.

When: Whenever there are strong trainers or if they're doing a trial.

Why: ?

Asalie started another section around Enforcers.

Team Skull Enforcer(s?)

Who: A blond guy named Gladion who looks like the edge-lord version of Yuri Plesetsky. Unknown if there are more than one enforcer.

What: Presumably does Team Skull's bigger and/or dirtier jobs.

How: With strong Pokemon and one of them is named Type: Null with a sledgehammer helmet for whatever reason and it's insanely strong- used by Gladion.

When: ?

Why: ?

But there was something more to Gladion- for one, he and Lillie had incredibly similar hair and eye colors, down to the tones of the color. _Is it just coincidence? Was he the one she was trying to meet back at the hotel?_ she wondered.

 _Could those two be-_

"Hey Asa," Hau greeted her- he was holding some food and cans for them.

She gratefully accepted the food- today had been a bust from beginning to end. At least she had a proper lead- if information from a member of the team whose asses she kicked several times now could be called "proper".

"So, what'll you do when you find Ruby?" the green-haired boy asked after they finished eating.

Asalie averted her eyes. "I'll cross that bridge when I find her."

"Would it really be so bad to have her on your team? I mean, you're trying really hard to find her but you say you don't want her to fight with Pell and Bishop?"

"Look, is it really so hard for you to believe that I'm just not comfortable with her? You've passed up Pokemon because you didn't feel like they should be with your team, haven't you?"

"But..." Hau trailed off before shoving something into her hands. "Hope you can use these in the next trial..." before leaving.

Asalie opened her hand to find three revives. She gave a sigh and rested her head against her hands.

* * *

Happy Holidays, everybody!


	13. Chapter 13

TheHolyBlade: Thanks, I do my best :)

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Bad experiences can help or hinder you.

LilMate: You and everyone else.

SenpaixNotices: It took a bit for me to get it written down because it could go in so many different ways ^^;

Sparks52: I'm happy you've enjoyed and that you got your game at last- it's really amazing :)

Same to you!

lychee-ran: Asalie couldn't tell- you can catch Eevee on Route 4 and Route 6.

Gigarot: Cool- is it fun?

I made him stronger and actually a threat ._.

Well I think anyone would be wary of thugs and considering Asalie's first interaction with them was them harassing Lillie and losing in a Pokemon battle and physical battle would be enough to make an impression on her.

Heh :)

* * *

Asalie's mouth tasting like fish was the first thing she was aware of. Trying to get up made her body ache- especially her leg- and her head swim. Did she fall asleep in front of the console again?

 _But I hate fish, why would my mouth taste like-_

Her eyes flickered open to see she was lying on something remarkably soft over something very hard. She tried to push herself up only for her body to scream in protest- further examination showed that her body was wet all over and her left shin had some silk wrapped around a nasty looking bruise.

 _What the hell happened...?_ she wondered, trying to remember what had led up to this.

* * *

 _Her team finally healed up, Asalie ran down the route until she caught the sight of a waterfall slowing into a small pond surrounded by rocks and sand with ferns and trees growing around. By the bridge was a young girl with blue hair, white tanktop and vest, blue pants and sandals._

 _"Hello," she greeted Asalie when she came down. "I'm Lana- the captain of Brooklet Hill."_

 _Asalie blinked in surprise at this before remembering what Mallow asked. "Oh- hi. Uh, Mallow says 'hello' and have you seen-" she began before Lana began to circle around her. "Wh-what are you doing?"_

 _"Hmm..." Lana mused, looking over her closely before saying, "You seem an able-bodied trainer- might I ask your help in something?"_

 _"... sure? But only if you can help me. I'm looking for a Rockruff with blue leash and collar- have you seen her?"_

 _Lana looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "She might have gone further up the hill. We'll keep an eye out for her while you help me."_

 _She followed Lana down across the bridge of the crystal blue water until they came to the end of a beach with no visible bridge or way across. The blue haired girl pointed to the lake and Asalie saw something swirling about in it._

 _"Suck vigorous splashing- I wouldn't be surprised if a ferocious Pokemon is causing it," she said, expression never changing, "or perhaps it's a robust swimmer..."_

 _The brunette blinked at this before Lana went on, "I would like to ask you to investigate that splashing and find the source- here."_

 _She took Asalie's ride pager- "Wait, how did you get that?!"- and typed a few buttons. When the brunette took it back, she saw the option for a Lapras. "But-!"_

 _"Please take care of Kali," Lana urged her._

 _Asalie boarded Kali with some trepidation, feeling her stomach shudder from the unnatural movement against the water. Regardless, Kukui's lessons served her well and she guided the Lapras over the splashing. But when she got there, she saw a shadow shoot through the water and down the waterfall before a small white fish leaped at them- Pell easily KO'd it with razor leaf._

 _"Oh my, so it was a Wishiwashi causing that splashing?" Lana remarked before stopping and asking, "Did you hear that?"_

 _Asalie strained her ears and sure enough, she heard more splashing further in- in fact, it sounded a bit louder than before. She looked around as best she could but could find no sign of the Rockruff. She steered Kali over to the next plot of land and stepped off, startled when she saw that Lana had somehow made it over before she did._

 _"Oh my- wait, your name was?"_

 _"Asalie," the brunette said, sweatdropping before trying to ask, "Did you see-"_

 _"Oh of course- such a lovely name..."_

 _Her gray eyes flitted to the side, face burning. She tried to ask again before she heard a stronger splashing- looking over to the next body of water, Asalie saw a bigger commotion than before._

 _"Whatever is making that splashing must be quite large- a strapping swimmer perhaps? Or an amazing Pokemon specimen...?" Lana mused softly, her calm expression completely at odds with her words._

 _Asalie was more than happy to go investigate to get away from the blue-haired girl- this time, four shadows flitted away from here leaving only a Wishiwashi and Bishop's thundershock swiftly knocked it out. But when Kali pulled her back to see Lana only for the blue-haired girl to be gone, Asalie realized that it was beginning to rain- she shivered as the droplets fell on her exposed skin._

I still don't see her...

 _"Oh my," Lana said over on the opposite plot of land, startling the brunette again. "So it was another Wishiwashi? How unfortunate- I was hoping it was a strapping young swimmer..."_

 _The brunette wordlessly edged Lapras away from the blue-haired girl before she tried yet again to ask-_

SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH

 _"Oh my word!" Lana remarked, Asalie barely able to hear her over the noise. "Such furious-sounding splashing- it sounds like a Wailord, or perhaps we'll be especially lucky to find a spry young swimmer in need of saving! Let's go investigate, Asalie!"_

 _With that, she ran towards the source- the rain was starting to come down harder and Asalie rubbed her temple before a droplet fell in her eye. She rubbed to get it out and guided Kali over to the next plot of land._ _She ran after Lana down the hill before the blue-haired girl stopped._

 _"What is it?"_

 _"You know, they say that the embodiment of the sea lays within Brooklet Hill," the blue-haired girl said seriously, upper expression shadowed._

 _"I seriously doubt Kyogre would make this their home," Asalie stated, having enough of the blue-haired girl jerking her around._

 _Lana giggled at that, expression back to normal. "It looks like you're not tricked easily, huh Asalie?" she asked before becoming more serious. "Even still, what could be making that splashing? Not to mention this rain will be able to boost water-type moves..."_

That makes sense as to why the splashing is becoming stronger as I go on, _Asalie thought as she looked over her team one last time._ Most of my team can handle water types but if it's getting stronger-

I got a bad feeling about this- I hope she's okay...

 _They kept going down the hill until Asalie saw the trial gate- now with blue highlights- before them. Lana however just tapped on the door with the top of her finger and they blasted open. "You've followed me this whole time- now we can begin the trial proper," Lana said softly._

 _"... you tricked me," the brunette said, tone disbelieving and accusatory._

 _"Do you want to find your Rockruff?"_

 _The brunette swallowed and followed her through to find an enormous lake, deciding to leave her anger for later- several waterfalls from the previous bodies of water cascaded down and the water of the lake was surrounded by enormous rocks as it flowed into the sea and the waves on the other side smashed against the rocks. In the middle of the lake was yet another splashing commotion._

 _"Yes, this is my trial- to defeat the totem Pokemon before you!" the blue-haired girl declared. "Prove your strength to me!"_

 _"Our conversation isn't over, not by a longshot," she informed Lana sternly. "Captain or not, I don't take kindly to being deceived."_

 _Lana's expression didn't change one bit and Asalie scowled while trying to stop from shivering,_ _the cold and fear taking equal parts in this action. She boarded Kali once again and gripped Pell and Bishop's poke-balls tightly before heading to the center of the lake. She briefly recalled a documentary she saw about a red Gyrados making a lake it's home before shaking her head to ward off the thought lest she turn back out of fear._

 _As she came closer to the splashing, it suddenly stopped and Asalie's eyes widened as she realized there was nothing there, not even the shadows of the culprit. Lightning flashed above them before Asalie jumped at the sound of thunder and she nearly lost her grip as Kali gave a rumble- further inspection made her realize that the Lapras was trembling._

 _The brunette tried to placate the Lapras only to see several shadows in the water starting to swarm just mere yards from them and it was growing bigger and bigger by the second. "We have to go- now! Hurry!" she told Kali but the Lapras was frozen in fear._

 _The shadow loomed underneath the water and the next moment, it surfaced. A gigantic blue whale-like creature shot into the air, it's scales shimmering and squirming as it came straight at Asalie and Kali with it's mouth open. **"GWOOOHHH!"** it roared._

 _Her startled scream was cut off as the force of the lunge knocked her and Kali across the lake and into the water. She flailed underneath the surface, struggling to get back up only for the turbulence caused to send her tumbling with the currents._

 _She was able to break the surface for a moment only for a wave to push her back down, water rushing into her lungs and her leg to bang against a rock. The pain and shock made her go slack before she was_

 _There were no thought, the world was too chaotic and void of air to think and all Asalie could do as her world got darker was wonder what was wrapping around her..._

* * *

"That lying brat," Asalie rasped, her throat dry and scratchy.

She finally pushed herself into a sitting position and got a better look at her surroundings- she was lying on what appeared to be a glob of spider webs underneath her at the lip of a small cave. She sat up further and winced at the pain on her leg.

Suddenly, Asalie was tackled by something and she felt a warm, wet tongue all over her face and a familiar whine. "Ruby?" she tried to say but the Rockruff was too busy licking her for her to get out a word edgewise.

Finally, she was able to get the Rockruff off her lap and wiped the saliva off her face to look at her. The Rockruff didn't look worse for wear save her fur being rather wet and her least had been lost at a point- the collar was still around her neck. Just then, the puppy Pokemon gave a bark over to the side and Asalie heard something scuttle towards them.

A little blue and green creature with pincers and a- bubble? around it's head approached her cautiously across the web before dropping in front of her. Asalie was a little weirded out by the creature but she was surprised when it showed her her bag.

"Thank you!" she said, a relieved smile breaking out as the little creature handed it to her.

She leafed through it's contents- the bag itself was water proof and nothing seemed to be too damaged. A moment later, Rotom-Dex fall with a splat onto her lap. **"Did anyone get the number of that _bitch?!"_** they wheezed, swirls in their eyes.

"I'm afraid not," Asalie said, a weak giggle escaping before she released Bishop and Pell- unfortunately, both were unconscious.

 _Thank you Hau,_ she thought as she took out the revives he gave her- she broke them open and gently tilted the powder inside into their mouths. They didn't even have to eat, just have the powder make contact with their mouth.

Once Bishop and Ruby regained consciousness, the Rowlet began to glow bright blue and Asalie's eyes widened as her body began to change shape. Once the light had died down, Pell was now twice her side with two green feathers hanging down like bangs on her face and her feathers were more brown and white.

 **"Dartrix, the blade quill Pokemon,"** Rotom-Dex recited. **"It can throw sharp feathers and rarely misses it's intended target."**

Pell stared at her new body in awe- only to pause and start to preen herself with earnest. Asalie gave a weak laugh and went to stroke her back only for the Rowlet- er, Dartrix, to slap her hand away before returning to her cleaning. Bishop was more than happy to rejoice for their teammate's evolution and the puppy Pokemon barked happily- even the the tiny creature- **"Dewpider"** \- looked happy for them.

"Did you two rescue me?" she asked.

The Rockruff and Dewpider looked at each other and to Asalie's surprise, shook their heads. Then the Dewpider grabbed a stick and began drawing in the mud- from what little she could interpret, some kind of snake thing had yanked her out and the Rockruff had found her before asking the Dewpider for help.

 _I didn't see anything like a snake during the trial- was it a wild Pokemon, or something else?_ Asalie wondered before stopping.

"Shit, is the trial still going?!" she exclaimed aloud, wincing at the echoes.

She moved to get up only to stumble and nearly fall on her face, if not for the Dewpider slapping a glob of silk onto her back armor to keep her from falling. Her leg screamed in protest at the pressure put on it but the brunette forced herself to move out of the cave. They were just on the side of the last lake, hidden away in the vegetation.

She also saw Kali resting outside of the cave and felt relieved that the Lapras was all right- she was her ride after all and had no part in the trial captain's Tauros-shit.

Hopefully.

Either way, Asalie couldn't bring herself to be mad at the water/ice type and fed her some poke-beans along with her team, the Rockruff and Dewpider. Even with the rain and the pain in her leg, the brunette felt much better than before. She hoped that the trial was still going, because she refused to go through all that again, especially when she knew the trick behind it.

Once she had rested fully, she returned Pell and Bishop to their poke-balls and packed the rest of her items. She still wore her gear and she had no intention of taking it off, as it protected her from worse injuries- and if she was going up against that thing again, she'd need them.

Asalie looked over at the Rockruff and Dewpider- she honestly regretted that she couldn't catch Pokemon until the trial was over. "I'll be back soon- thank you, both of you," she promised and guided Kali back to the lake.

* * *

It was still there.

Asalie shivered at the sight of the enormous creature and she clung to Kali. The waves themselves were enough to nearly knock her aisde but the Lapras did her best to swim so that neither were knocked off balance again.

The gigantic fish circled around them, a bright blue aura surrounding it. The adrenaline came back and Asalie felt the grin stretch on her face as she brought out Pell and Bishop.

 _What's wrong with me?_ she wondered before yelling, "Razor leaf! Thundershock!"

The two attacks connected only for the parts that were damaged to suddenly fall away and splash into the water before swimming away. _The fuck just happened?!_ Asalie thought before Kali barely dodged a powerful brine attack.

 _Calm down, calm down!_ she thought forcefully as she directed Kali away and shouted, "Keep attacking- don't let up!"

 **"Toots- wait!"**

Asalie's eyes widened in shock as Rotom-Dex appeared in front of her with one of her shirts over their body. "What are you doing out here?!" she exclaimed with worry and horror. "You're not water-proof-"

 **"Shut up and lookit the screen!"**

The brunette looked at the entry under Wishiwashi and saw a function for "School Form" and "Solo Form" for the one entry she was looking at- she remembered what Lillie had said about Oricorio and their form changes depending on the island they were on.

Her eyes widened as the creature they were battling appeared on the screen. Weak Wishiwashi school together to concentrate their power- their united force makes them a demon of the sea, so terrifying even Gyrados flee from them.

Just then, the creature let out a **"GWOOOHHH!"** and several Wishiwashi swirled around it- and then several attached themselves to the creature's body as though healing it.

 _So that's it!_ Asalie realized. _This isn't one Pokemon, it's an entire group of them coming together!_

Just then, Kali gave a cry and wrenched away just as a water gun that looked more like a hydro pump barely missed them- Rotom-Dex cried in pain as the rain hit them and Asalie swiftly tucked them back into her bag. _I know what I'm facing now but I still don't know how to win, especially if there are more Wishiwashi!_

Just then, Bishop got hit with a soak attack, turning his body a pale blue as his types both changed to water. Pell gasped as the wetness of her wings made it harder for her to use razor leaf but her evolved form's strength made it a bit easier for her to to fly and withstand the battle conditions.

The School Form blasted another water gun and while it forced Pell back, it did little to Bishop. _That's right- Bishop got turned into a water type and they resist the attacks now!_ Asalie realized, a grin on her face. "Keep using thundershock, Bishop! Pell, keep it's allies back with razor leaf- don't be afraid to widen your attacks!"

Bishop began to launch as many thundershocks as he could while Pell kept her razor leaf attacks up, taking Asalie's advice to widen them out as much as she could- while this did less damage, it hit more Wishiwashi and knocked them back again and again.

Asalie kept Kali going while trying to heal Bishop and Pell when she could- however, the Magnemite could only take so much and the brunette exclaimed in fear as they dropped towards the lake after another water gun attack. Kali quickly swam forward so Asalie could catch them in her lap and return them to their poke-ball.

"Pell, focus your attacks on the School Form!" she shouted over the rain.

The Dartrix obeyed, eyes blazing as she sent another razor leaf attack- the water might have been weighing her down but water was also a boon to grass types, making them stronger as well. Not only that but she had done her job in keeping the Wishiwashi away from the School Form.

The School Form visibly trembled from the last razor leaf before it burst apart, the Wishiwashi that made it up swimming away as fast as they could. The rain began calm down a bit and Kali swam over underneath the Dartrix so Asalie could catch her, the grass owl exhausted from the fight. "Thank you so much, you did great," she murmured to her and Pell smiled weakly before Asalie returned her to the poke-ball.

She guided Kali over to the shore and the brunette scowled at the sight of Lana waiting for her, fishing rod in hand as though she had been there ever since.

"I must say I find myself at an impasse," she admitted, not looking up from her fishing. "I am glad you won, but it's still frustrating that the Wishwashi I trained so diligently were defeated."

Her scowl deepened and Asalie asked, "Did you train them to drown trial goers, too?"

"If you can't handle a controlled environment and storm like this one, how will you fare in true storms?" Lana said back. "For that matter, if you choose to believe that everyone has your best interests in mind and won't lie to you, then you will be hurt more times than you can count."

The brunette was taken back at this before the blue-haired girl stood up and retracted the lure of her pole. "The purpose of these trials isn't just testing your Pokemon's strength, it's testing the trainer's own abilities and mind- I would think you of all people would understand that."

"... I'm still pissed you tricked me when I was trying to find my Pokemon."

"And you're entitled to your anger. You found her regardless, didn't you?"

Just then, Asalie heard barking and turned to see Ruby and the Dewpider running towards them- though the latter was on the former's back. Her scowl melted away before she realized it and Lana already took out her trainer passport to stamp it.

After tossing it back to a perturbed Asalie, Lana also gave her a blue crystal with the insignia of a raindrop upon it. "This is the Waterium-Z- and as for how to use it-"

At this, Lana crossed her arms in front of her before spearing them forward and then making wave motions on her left and then her right before holding the pose. "And here is a Lana-original-"

The blue-haired girl handed Asalie the fishing rod she carried from before. "I have dozens of these already to give out to challengers once they beat my trial. Just go to the rocks in the waves as fish Pokemon tend to gather there- you might even fish up little treasures- and you can use these to catch them."

She gave Asalie ten diving balls and the brunette put them away quickly before folding the rod up as well, barely able to juggle the items properly while Lana looked at the two Pokemon with a faint smile. "And now that you've cleared the trial, you can catch Pokemon here."

The Dewpider looked at Asalie with eager eyes and the brunette smiled as she took out a net ball, placed it against it's forehead and caught the Dewpider. Then she took out a nest ball and tossed it up- Ruby happily barked as she leaped up to bat her head against it and she was sucked inside.

 _Looks like I've crossed the bridge._

"By the way... did you know I once reeled in a red Gyrados?"

Asalie wordlessly arched an eyebrow and Lana laughed again before saying, "You did a fine job today- I can see why Ilima had his eye on you."

Lana pointed towards the horizon. "The trial is at Wela Volcano Park- and you can use the Waterium-Z to get rid of the Sudowoodo at Paniola Ranch- I wonder how they'll react to that. Heh..."

With that, she hopped on Kali's back and swam away, leaving Asalie alone. _I didn't think he was lying, but to see what happened with my own eyes- just what is this girl? And who was that creature I saw back there?_

* * *

"Shut up."

Asalie rolled her eyes at Hau's shit-eating grin when he saw her team at the center. "I haven't even said anything yet!" the boy laughed.

"Yeah yeah..."

She was back at the center on Route 5 and Hau actually returned after her from catching a new team member- a Fomantis named Liko, who seemed both stoic and nervous at the same time. Asalie listened as Hau recounted how he found the Fomantis while blow-drying Pell's feathers, as she finished drying Bishop's circuitry and now they were conversing quietly with Dewpider- or rather, Kumonga, as he liked that name best. Ruby was enjoying her place by the brunette, collar still in place as she had grown attached to it.

Asalie was still wary of the Rockruff but the fact that she had helped her when she was in trouble was not something she could ignore. It would take time to get used to, especially now that her team was four instead of three as she had planned.

 _I might as well roll with it while I can..._

* * *

:D


	14. Chapter 14

TheHolyBlade: :)

Gigarot: Well that's good :)

Yeah, I don't like Lana all that much- but that doesn't mean I can't explain supposed methods to her madness.

Gollom Voice: **You will see~ Oh yes~ You WILL see...**

Cottonmouth25: It is? Huh.

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Just a bit- having your life saved does that sometimes.

Lebensmude: I'm sorry that this story wasn't to your liking.

The first part of the first chapter had been to highlight how destructive they are, but that had been in a world without mega evolution or Z-moves (gens 1 through 5) and it's highly implied if not outright stated that the Ultra Beasts didn't come near the gen 6/7 world because of it's power. I guess I should have put that in- when they do make their appearance they will be deadly, just not to the extent of the gen1-5 games.

It's been over a year since I posted anything story-related outside of one-shots and it's been showing. My earlier works are similar with the references but this is definitely a sign I should cut back on them while I can- or at least pepper them in more tastefully.

Thank you for taking the time to read and review my story regardless- I will do my best U_U

* * *

Asalie and Hau stood before the Sudowoodo that were blocking the path- while the latter was preparing for his trial against Lana, Asalie decided to remove the roadblock and allow them more access to training areas- a win-win either way.

"Okay..." Asalie muttered as she took out the Waterium-Z, only for the Sudowoodo to start screaming, **"Woooooohhhhhh!"** at the sight of it before running away as fast as their legs could carry them.

"... well that happened," was all she could say.

"What the heck was that about? You didn't even do anything!" Hau wondered before they heard someone laughing.

A little boy was leaning against the fence, wheezing as tears trickled down his face from how hard he was laughing. "Th-that was even better the second time!" he all but shrieked.

"'Second time'?"

"It's 'cause Trial Captain Lana uses her Waterium Z move whenever they come over and now they're scared of anyone who has it!"

The brunette grimaced, realizing such a thing was well within her expectations of the blue-haired girl and hoped that she wouldn't come across her again soon. "Well I'm glad I amused you so," she deadpanned before they headed down the route.

There were few trainers in her way, so she didn't expect anything much to happen other than Hau using that time to train- so when Kumonga's body became enveloped in pale blue light, she was taken completely off-guard, especially as his form changed.

Asalie's mouth dropped open as he grew bigger and bigger until he towered over her. **"Arrrraaaa!"** he cried out as the light faded to reveal his new form- a gigantic spider with water bubble and large blue eyes, glittering in the sunlight.

"Whoa he evolved FAST!" Hau exclaimed as he looked at the water spider in awe.

Asalie on the other hand, was turning blue from fear fast at the sight of the gigantic arachnid before her. She could barely reach out and place a shaking hand on his leg to show she was proud of him.

Pell gave him a happy nuzzle, proud of the water-bug type for his evolution, before preening her feathers free of the wetness- Ruby was actually a little more subdued, though this was more having to do with his sudden large size than anything but she still barked happily. Bishop was excited for Kumonga and buzzed with anticipation- the Araquanid wobbled a bit on his new legs and looked more worried.

"He musta been right on the edge of evolving when you caught him- lucky you two!" Hau chirped- Asalie could barely hear him, struggling to keep from running away screaming.

The sound of clapping startled her and she jumped away from Kumonga, sweating profusely as she looked around before she saw an enormous and tough looking horse Pokemon- by it's side was a girl that looked the same age as Lana did with brown skin, pale purple eyes, black boots, tan jump suit with purple pockets on the legs, short sleeves, gloves and purple bow and bonnet over black hair in two thick braids.

"Congratulations on evolving your Pokemon- he looks mighty fine," the girl said in a steady and low voice.

"Uh- thanks- y-you've got a pretty cool looking Pokemon," Asalie replied back, nerves rather frayed.

"Yeah, he looks really strong!" Hau added.

"Mighty kind of you to say so- she appreciates the gesture."

"Oh, oops! Sorry, ma'ams..."

"WILL YOU STOP IGNORING US, DAMMIT?!"

Asalie looked behind the girl and horse to see two Team Skull grunts in front of them. "Ah, I apologize for this but could you two come to my aid?" the girl asked politely.

"Not a problem, ma'am!" Hau declared and Asalie followed his lead to face the grunts- a Drifloon was huddling in fear between the two groups.

"YOU!" the grunts shrieked together, paling at the sight of the brunette.

"So I take it you're familiar with these Pokemon thieves?" the girl asked, expression unperturbed.

"Well, not these two at least."

"Yo, for real?!" the first snapped incredulously. "You seriously don't recognize us?!"

"Well, we know you!" the second declared, pointing an accusatory finger in her face. "You're that crazy bitch who tackled us in Hau'oli City! We got locked up thanks to you!"

Asalie blinked before she recalled the two punks that had cornered Lillie by the trainer school and her gaze darkened. "Oh, those two."

 _"Damn right 'those two'_ \- we're gonna make you pay!" the first grunt- A- declared.

"Life in the city certainly is different, huh," the girl remarked. "For scumbags like these roaming about so brazenly..."

"Hey, this here's a legitimate business, yo!" B snapped.

The girl ignored them pointedly and turned back to Asalie and Hau. "So, will you two be able to take these ruffians?"

"Definitely!" Hau said with a nod. "I'm Hau, by the way!"

"I'm Asalie," the brunette added.

"Glad to meet you- I am Hapu."

"That's it!" A yelled angrily "We got messed up on Melemele, exiled to Akala and now we're bein' completely ignored by a couple of kids and that crazy bitch- I ain't goin' down like this! Drowzee!"

Drowzee came out before it saw Kumonga by Asalie and it gave a horrified look before the Araquanid knocked it over with one of his legs. Meanwhile Akela had already zapped B's Zubat and it collapsed on the ground as well.

 _"Are you shitting me?!"_

 _"What a fuckin' load!"_

 **"NE-HIIIIII!"** the horse bellowed, stamping it's front hooves down on the ground hard enough to make it shake, effectively cutting the two grunts' whining off.

"Mudsale, shall we stomp these scoundrels?" Hapu asked, the barest hint of a grin on her face. "It'll be a mess to clean up afterward, but I'm more than willing if you are."

"Timet'breakoutyo- gottatelly'allt'peaceout'yo!" both shrieked together before running away. "Y-you weren't actually going to stomp them, right?" Hau asked weakly.

Hapu didn't answer, talking lowly to the Drifloon before it flew away.

"Glad to see that one will get home on her own," she said, smile gentler now before turning to Asalie and Hau. "Thank you for your help, both of you- I like the way you handled yourselves in battle."

"Thanks, Miss Hapu," Hau said, despite not getting an answer, before asking, "So, what're you two doing around here? Is there a town nearby?"

"Funny you should ask- there's a town that holds something called a Battle Royal just up ahead," Hapu answered. "Musdale and I don't care much for it but you might find it to your liking."

"Thanks- again."

"Mudsale and I are always traveling around Alola to achieve our goals, so chances are we'll meet again before long- I am indebted to you for your aid, after all."

 **"Ni-hiiii,"** Mudsale neighed gruffly before Hapu got on his back and the two rode away.

"Well, that was something."

* * *

The town was rather small but it was certainly more modern than most other towns Asalie had come across, it resembled a carnival more than anything- and the center of it all was a gigantic building with many people and Pokemon waiting outside of it.

Asalie and Hau got their teams healed up before asking around- it seemed that Battle Royal mimicked how the four Guardian Deity Pokemon used to do battle with four Pokemon fighting at once against each other and the reason it was so hard was that who your enemies and allies were could change in a heartbeat.

 _Hau I guess I get- but what made her think this'd be up_ my _alley?_ Asalie wondered.

She also found a great place for taking photos of the Orinoco by the flowers and a malasada shop which Hau immediately ran to- she spent the next hour or so just snapping photos of what Pokemon she could find. Comparing these to the ones she took much earlier in her journey, Asalie was pleased to note that the quality of them was slowly but surely going up. The malasada shops were always great to go to and she knew exactly why Hau checked them out first as she boxed up as many treats she could take with.

But the biggest boon to her so far was the Thrifty Megamart- right when she came in, Asalie was given a coupon for purchases since it was her first time there. Quickly, she loaded up on medicine, food, camping supplies and even ran into the Drifloon that she and Hapu helped- her trainer, a little boy named Oke even gave her a can of her favorite lemonade!

The brunette finally exited over an hour later, her bag almost twice as heavy now- Hau met her from where he was exploring and the two went to rest on one of the benches with some drinks between them.

"This place is amazing- and we haven't even seen the main attraction!" Hau cheered as he finished his bottle of pop.

Asalie nodded in agreement as she went to sip her lemonade only to spot a familiar blond- who unfortunately wasn't Lillie, but rather Gladion, and his Pokemon Type: Null. He appeared to be talking to himself for whatever reason.

"C'mon, Null- let's go bury our sorrow in the crowd," he said, gently scratching the Pokemon behind their sledgehammer helmet before heading in.

 _Arceus, what drama did he stumble out of?_

"It's that guy again! Let's follow him!" Hau said, jumping onto his feet.

"Wait wha-" Asalie began but Hau was already pulling her towards the building.

The area was spacious with two stairways leading up and a receptionist desk on either side of a doorway with a bar across it- atop it was the emblem of a red, blue, green and yellow boxer's mitt clashing together.

"GLAD YOU COULD MAKE IT!"

 _"Hgisfidda!"_ Asalie yelped in surprise at the yell, looking around frantically for the yeller before she looked at the right staircase.

A broad and muscled man with light brown skin, mask and criminally tight pants came down to her. "Whoa!" Hau exclaimed with sparkling eyes while Asalie gaped at the sheer physique of the man before she stopped. _I know that bare chest anywhere!_

"Professor Kukui...?"

"I- do not know no Professor- I am the Masked Royal!" Professor Kukui- or rather, Masked Royal- declared, striking a pose. "Here to battle and teach youngsters of the battle style passed down for generations in Alola!"

"I already know how it works, more or less-"

"'BUT MASKED ROYAL, WHAT IS THE BATTLE ROYAL?!' I SHALL TELL YOU, SMALL CHILD!"

Asalie winced at the volume of his voice and tried her best to find a way to walk away, though the crowd looked too excited to see what he had to say next- Gladion was watching as well, face-palming while Type: Null looked more excited.

"Masked Royal! Can I battle you?!" Hau exclaimed with sparkling eyes. "Asa, you'll help me against him, right?!"

"Wait wha-"

"You there! Come join the fun!" Masked Royal called to Gladion, who immediately paled. "With me in the mix, our foursome will be complete, yeah!"

"Yeah!" Hau cheered.

Type: Null was bouncing up and down with excitement and Gladion looked as though refusing him/her the fight would physically hurt him. Asalie kept looking between them all before she just threw up her hands. "Fuck it, let's go."

They went to the receptionist desk, signed their names and were led to their corners- Masked Royal to the Gyrados/ blue corner, Gladion to the Charizard/red corner, Hau to the Haxorus/ yellow corner and Asalie to the Tyranitar/ green corner. "The fight will begin in ten minutes- please get your Pokemon in order," the receptionist informed her.

Asalie looked over her team before deciding to go with Pell. _Her razor leaf can hit everyone at once and will whittle them all down,_ she thought before giving the Dartix a sitrus berry to hold.

Despite her nervousness, Asalie couldn't help feeling just a little excited- she had good experiences fighting Hau and she did want to beat Gladion back, just for him beating back her team and saying it didn't matter.

When the receptionist called her forward, Asalie took a breath and walked out.

"WE'RE COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE BATTLE DOME AND BOY IS IT BRIMMING WITH EXCITEMENT- WITH TWO FAVORITES AND TWO NEWCOMERS, WE'RE SURE TO GET A BLAZING HOT BATTLE TODAY!" the announcer bellowed into her microphone.

"IN THE GREEN CORNER, ASALIE SENDS OUT HER DARTIX, PELLIMORE!"

"IN THE YELLOW CORNER, HAU SENDS OUT HIS BRIONNE, KONANE!"

"IN THE BLUE CORNER, MASKED ROYAL SENDS OUT HIS ROCKRUFF, AMARILLO!"

"IN THE RED CORNER, GLADION SENDS OUT HIS TYPE: NULL!"

"LET THE BATTLE ROYAL BEGIN!"

"Pell, use razor leaf!" Asalie ordered.

However much to her surprise, the attack barely did anything on the other Pokemon. Gladion sighed and shook his head while the Masked Royal yelled, "Moves that attack more than one opponent lose power in battle royals! I told you that earlier!"

Asalie felt her face heat up from some of the jeers in the audience and Pell gently laid a wing on her arm to comfort her. _This isn't going to end well..._

Rather, it didn't end as badly as Asalie first thought it would- Masked Royal actually dropped out first thanks to Konane's bubble beam and Pell's razor leaf, Type: Null knocked Konane out the next turn with tackle. Pell's sitrus berry kept her going a bit farther but she only managed to get Type: Null's health just a little below half before she was taken out by a critical hit tackle.

The four of them returned to the main floor after getting their Pokemon healed up- Hau was bouncing up and down, Masked Royal looked rather smug, Asalie felt more exhilarated than she expected and Gladion looked conflicted.

"So what did you think? Pretty easy to lose yourself in these kinds of battles, yeah?"

Asalie nodded in agreement- she couldn't concentrate on anything BUT the battle because of the sheer noise and conflicting senses around her. Not only that, but it was also a clever way to defeat stronger opponents- she just wished she lasted a little longer and didn't make such a mistake before.

"So Hau, Asalie- how are your trials going? I can only hope you and your teams are having a blast!"

"... how do you know we're doing the trial?" Asalie asked, hoping to corner Masked Royal.

"Of course he knows- we've got out island pendants!" Hau chirped before going on, "We've been having a blast!"

At that, he turned to Gladion. "That's why you're here, right? 'Cause you like doing battle royals?"

Asalie could see the gears in his head working as the blond remained silent- finally he set his right elbow into his left palm and rested his hand against his forehead. "I fight because the two of us need to be able to make it on our own," he finally said. "I can't ever forget that."

"... you are just a ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Hau remarked before he smiled and said, "I think you'd have a lot more fun if you just let yourself relax and have a good time with everyone. Heck, me and Asa'd be more than happy to hang out!"

"We would?" Asalie asked with equal amounts confusion and horror.

Gladion immediately left. Hau shrugged and turned back to Asalie, "Well, he does what he wants- but he's not a bad guy, I don't think."

"He is an enforcer for Team-freaking-Skull!" she snapped in disbelief at what he was saying.

"ALL ARE EQUAL IN BATTLE!" Masked Royal declared, striking another pose. "ALL THAT MATTERS IS HOW BRIGHT YOUR SPIRIT BURNS!"

"Yeah, I'm out of here- have fun and whatnot," Asalie growled before storming out of the building.

"Okay! I'll see you later Asa!" Hau called after her, making her slam the door behind her harder.

* * *

I had to split the original chapter in half ^^;

Also if anyone has criticisms of how the story is going or what could be improved, please feel free to tell me. It's been over a year since I did a story and I need advice ^^;

HAPPY NEW YEAR- HERE'S HOPING 2017 IS A LITTLE BETTER THAN 2016


	15. Chapter 15

Multibeveridge: The reason for slow pacing is because I'm playing the game as I go along- it's certainly an experience going so "slowly" but I can see it's paying off.

(I say this because my stories have huge chapters but a lot of time between dates, while this one is slower paced but I've been updating every few days.)

Thank you- I try my best to give them fitting names :)

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: I see him more as a Bunny Ears Lawyer- he's silly but he's _damn good_ at what he does.

Gigarot: A benevolent water-typed Shelob who just wants to protect you- it's a great concept but terrifying design O_O (This ties into Pokemonami when I was playing with some bug types and I tried to finish as fast as possible because of how freaked out I was at the close-ups and design in 3D ^^;)

I agree completely because there are times when I find a design for Pokemon and can only stare, either with incredulity, terror or disgust.

Yeah, that's probably the only time the Battle Royal building will be featured- in game I won just by spamming razor leaf and having a sitrus berry on hand. It's power might have gone down but it still has STAB and higher chance to CRIT.

Anonymousloris: Because I've yet to rewrite my three longest stories ^^;

* * *

"Am I the only one who's concerned about that guy being on Team Skull?" the brunette groused to herself as she made her way to the volcano. "Hell, am I the only one who's concerned about Team Skull, _period?"_

Their last two encounters were both in her mind- Gladion could have easily sicced the grunts on them but he had defended them before leaving. He hadn't done anything like the two grunts she saw at the entrance with Hapu but had just been concerned with battling.

 _Doesn't mean he hasn't- it just means I wasn't around to see him do anything morally wrong._

In Kanto, Team Rocket was spoken of in hushed whispers, used in only the foulest insults and was considered the most ruthless gang of criminals whose only goals were to exploit Pokemon however possible for money and power with nothing held sacred. Even the sight of someone wearing a black turtleneck was enough to make people edge away from the wearer.

In the past, Saffron had been occupied by Team Rocket while they took over the Silph Cooperation tower in order to get their hands on their secret and rare items. Asalie hadn't been born yet but Astin had been five when it happened and even he recounted it with fear, talking of Ashwin and their mom barricading the doors and windows and keeping the lights off so they weren't noticed.

So watching people be so nonchalant about Team Skull had been downright _alien_.

 _To be fair, they're really pitiful compared to actual criminals like Rockets- they just look and act like a bunch of kids trying to do stupid shit,_ she thought. _I didn't take them that seriously either until-_

The battle with Gladion played out in her head- how easily he had beaten her team back and how it had only been through his mercy that the grunts hadn't attacked them and/or robbed them. Her fist tightened around her bag strap- if she ran into him again and he beat her the same way, he could easily turn her over to the other grunts or do who knows what to her himself.

"Aw shit, I completely forgot to ask him if he knew Lillie!" she muttered, knocking herself upside the head.

 _But on second thought, I don't want him getting ideas of going after her..._

* * *

The training on the outskirts of the mountain/volcano was on focusing on Kumonga getting used to his new body, as it was nearly six times larger than his first form. He could still spit silk out and his defenses had gotten the biggest boost from evolution while his speed was the lowest of her team.

She had also found the tm for scald on the way back from Brooklet hill- which ironically gave him the power to possibly burn his opponents- and Kumonga learned it in place of bubblebeam. Along with aqua ring, bite and bug bite, he could withstand powerful attacks and fight back even if he was the slowest.

It was also focusing on training Ruby alongside them- and it was going _really well._ She was fast to learn and obedient when given instructions when to battle- Asalie wondered briefly if she was trying harder because she had caught the Rockruff and wanted to show the brunette she was strong.

Ruby was one of the fastest on the team but her defenses were also the worst- she could strike fast and possibly get out of range from attacks but a good hit or two would be enough to keep her down.

As she got closer to the volcano/mountain, the heat became too much and Asalie took her jacket off before stuffing it in her bag. She wondered if this was a bad idea but then saw some Pokemon were keeping reflect, barrier and light screen on the mountain/volcano to keep the worst of the heat back.

 _I have no idea how they do it- but it's awesome,_ she decided as she reached the path that had a cave's entrance.

"O-M-G, are you a trial goer?!"

Asalie jumped at the yelled question and turned around to see a young woman with sunhat and blue dress holding a phone. "Yeah?"

The young woman gave a squeal of excitement before asking, "Can I do a selfie?! Please?!"

"Um, okay?"

The young woman swiftly put an arm around her shoulders, help up her phone and snapped no less than a dozen pictures in the span of about ten seconds. "Eeee! Thank you so much!" she squealed, hugging Asalie again before going off to do who knows what.

"Well, that happened," the brunette muttered to herself as she climbed further and further up the mountain/volcano.

 **"Ruff-ruff!"** Ruby barked excitedly, sniffing at the ground- Asalie pulled the vegetation apart to find a tm for rock tomb.

"Nice work," she said, quickly teaching the Rockruff rock tomb in place of rock throw.

She saw the entrance the mountain/volcano a ways away before looking back at her team: Kumonga was probably the strongest on the tea right now with his evolution and water type and ability that prevented burns AND halved fire damage, while Ruby was a rock type and just learned a strong move.

 _I can't imagine them using anything BUT fire types._

* * *

Eventually she made it to the trial gate- with red accents now- and the gate keepers healed her team. "Are you ready?" and Asalie nodded.

With that, their twin Marowaks pushed on the gates and Asalie saw the top of the mountain/volcano with a few torches and a single figure. She ran up to find an enormous circular stone stage- a young man with dark brown skin, dark brown hair with red accents, black eyes, an amulet around his neck and some red knee-high pants and sandals was standing in the center. Asalie couldn't help feeling intimidated by the intense look on the young man's face.

"Welcome- I am Kiawe," he greeted her, voice surprisingly mellow sounding. "My Marowak and I are students of the ancient dances that have been passed down in Alola for generations."

 _-PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS-_

"Aren't Marowaks ground types?" Asalie asked, pushing the picture of the mustachioed and muscled blond from her head. "Or are these Alolan forms?"

"Correct, challenger," Kiawe affirmed, "I think you'll find this trial a bit different from Ilima and Lana's at this point. Though I doubt this will stop you from attempting it."

"No sir."

"Then let us START!"

With that Kiawe threw three poke-balls into the air and three Marowak with dark burgundy bodies, deathly white skulls and flaming bones came out. "This will be a test of observation- my Marowak will dance and you must spot each and every difference between their dances."

Asalie's gaze sharpened immediately, blind to everything but the stage and even Kiawe bellowing for them to begin barely registered. She watched both dances as closely as she could and once both were done, she called out, "The middle Marowak's position is different!"

 **"Wa-aak!"** the Marowak exclaimed as it jumped on front of her- she didn't even hear Kiawe's surprised exclamation at her seeing the difference.

 **"Raff-ruff!"** Ruby barked as she leaped into battle.

The Marowok danced about, making it hard to see where he would stop- luckily, rock tomb hit more or less everywhere, knocking his health down to less than half. However, Ruby yelped as her body shimmered purple before the Marowok growled to lower her attack.

"Use rock tomb one more time!" Asalie ordered but Ruby was unable to use the attack again. "How-?!"

The Marowok threw his bone clubs at Ruby, knocking her back and Asalie called out, "Keep dodging- stay out of range!"

 _Think, think! How did he disable rock tomb?!_ the brunette frantically went through the possibilities as Ruby struggled to stay away from Marowok's attacks. _Was it an attack? He used it already! Was it a side effect? Growl doesn't have side effects! An ability? But Marowok's ability-_

 _He's an Alolan Marowok, not a regular Marowok!_ her next thought berated her. _They're not gonna have the same abilities!_

Ruby yelped as she got burned and Asalie quickly tossed her a lava cookie- the Rockruff scarfed it down before leaping away from Marowok's bone club before landing on his head. "Use bite!" Asalie ordered.

 _I can't use rock tomb, but I might be able to make him flinch-_ she thought only for the bite attack to cause him to nearly collapse.

 **"Hey toots- look at this!"** Rotom-Dex snapped as they came from her bag.

Asalie looked at the attack dex and her eyes widened as she saw that Ruby's bite attack had caused super-effective damage. _Either a psychic of ghost type,_ she realized and shouted, "Use bite again!"

Ruby obeyed and put an end to the battle. "Well done- Alaula was so pleased, he just had to battle you," Kiawe congratulated her. "Onto the next dance!"

Asalie focused her gaze to watch the dances only for her to jump in surprise as a hiker jumped in and flashed a peace sign. "What was different between the two dances?" Kiawe asked, gaze as intense as before.

The brunette stared, wordlessly gesturing between the Marowok and the hiker but Kiawe remained unperturbed. "The hiker- it's the hiker! He came out of nowhere!" she finally exclaimed.

This time she saw Kiawe looked shocked and ask, "B-but how?! What spectacular powers of observation! And to add to the spectacle- come, my fine hiker!"

"RIKOLAAAAA!" the hiker exclaimed as he jumped in front of Asalie with a Magmar. "Faint attack!"

The Magmar smashed into Ruby, knocking her back- however, this also put the fire type right next to her and Ruby unleashed a rock tomb that knocked it out immediately- she even advanced a level.

"Yikes, you're strong!" the hiker laughed in amazement. "Good luck, little lady!" before siting on the sidelines to take care of his Magmar.

"Impressive- hiker David was no match for you, it seems," Kiawe said. "Now- to the final dance!"

The Marowok danced over and then David leaped onto the stage as one Marowok looked like it was taking a picture while the other Marowok posed around the hiker. Asalie couldn't help the laugh in her throat before they did the dance and the appearance of a sinister looking black lizard jumping in made her startled.

"There's a new Pokemon!" she immediately stated before Kiawe could ask- he looked shocked before commanding, "Come forth, Totem Pokemon!"

The Pokemon- Salazze, as Rotom-Dex showed her- leaped in front of Asalie, aura blazing to life. **"SALAAA!"** it screeched.

Asalie grinned, feeling the adrenaline burst through her and Ruby barked in excitement as she jumped into battle. However, the Salazzle quickly used toxic, poisoning her badly and then called for aid, a Saladit scampering to it's feet.

Ruby tried to use rock tomb but the two Pokemon were two fast and their combined venoshocks knocked her back and the toxic knocked her out right after. Asalie quickly returned her and looked the Rockruff over, worried the poison might do more damage- she used two antidotes on her just to be safe before bringing Kumonga out.

"I know you're still a little awkward in that body but I know you've got this!" she called to him.

Kumonga nodded and sent a powerful scald attack at Salazzle- it withstood the attack and both attacked with flame burst. It would have hurt him even more but Kumonga's water bubble ability protected him from the worst of it and made it so it wouldn't burn him either. However a toxic from Salandit quickly started to whittle his health down and Salazzle's venoshock hurt him further. Luckily, Kumonga's next scald knocked Salazzle out.

"Yes!" Asalie said with a grin as the Salazzle went down- but the very next second, Salandit used venoshock on Kumonga!

The Araquanid struggled to stay on his feet but the poison took it's toll and he collapsed unconscious. _They don't leave even when the boss is defeated?!_ Asalie thought in shock before looking back at her available Pokemon left- Bishop or Pell.

She brought the Magnemite out, making them startle in surprise at the fire type. "I'm sorry- can you hold on for just another turn?" she apologized.

Bishop grimaced but nodded- the Salandit used flame burst on the Magnemite, nearly knocking their health down to zero, but Sturdy kept them conscious. "Thunderwave!" Asalie ordered and Bishop quickly paralyzed the Salandit.

As Salandit tried to attack, the paralysis kicked in and Asalie quickly healed Bishop. Two thundershocks later and Salandit was unconscious. The brunette quickly got her team back out and healed them up, taking great care with Ruby and Kumonga, both who looked very sad for losing.

"You guys did great, you really did- we wouldn't have gotten through this without you," she told them, giving them some poke-beans which they ate half-heartadly.

"S-spectacular!" Kiawe exclaimed. "A truly spectacular finish! With your keen observations, you were able to see the fine differences and battle onwards! Allow me to reward you."

He took a brilliant red crystal with a flame insignia and gave it to Asalie before stamping her trainer passport and giving her ten quick balls. With that, he crossed his arms then waved them up as if creating a breeze and then pushed his palm out as though he were doing a hadoken.

"One last thing: if you could get your ride pager out-"

Asalie handed it to him and Kiawe typed in a few buttons and handed it back to her. "Now you can use the ride Pokemon Dragonite to fly where you need to go."

The brunette paled at remembering her last flight and the young man put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I was very much afraid of flight when I first began- the secret lies in repetitiveness of flight- perhaps you will never lose all your fear but you will be able to bear it better."

"Okay..."

Kiawe looked to the horizon and Asalie followed his gaze. "The dances of our people- the dance of our Z-Moves- they all resonate with our feelings, for it is when we are in action that our true feelings are shown..."

 _Well that explains the super sentai poses,_ Asalie couldn't help the thought before asking, "If you don't mind answering, why are the observation bits in your trial-?"

"What some define as easy can be difficult for others," Kiawe said before explaining, "Some things are only clear to those who see with more than their eyes- but there are also some things that can be seen not because they are obvious, but because they are right- sometimes because of both. It is important to know how to make this distinction. That is this trial's basis."

Asalie remembered what Lana had said after she completed the trial. "Thank you sir," she said respectfully.

With that, Asalie left the site- Kiawe watched her leave before his expression became serious as he recalled the second time that the Marowak posed his hiker.

 _My eyes didn't deceive me- nor did Lana,_ he thought, the image of the serpent's tail slithering by the stage in his mind's eye. _I don't know what I just saw of Asalie, but that creature was the same that Lana described to me._

* * *

Asalie made it down the last part of the volcano, gripping her trainer passport tightly.

Pell, Bishop, Ruby and Kumonga were all out with her as they went down the steps- Kumonga and Ruby were both still sad that they did so badly and the brunette wasn't sure how to make them feel better.

Just then, she felt light on her face and raised her arm to keep the worst of it out of her eyes. The sun was starting to set- but on the opposite side of the sky, she saw the full moon starting to rise.

 _The sun in the night sky- the moon in the day,_ Hala's words echoed in her mind.

 _It's not as impossible as he makes it sound- but it's still an incredible view._

Pell sighed as she felt the light, Bishop watched in awe, Kumonga's expression seemed to soften and Ruby remained still. They continued to watch the sunset until there were just a few slivers of light left.

 _I'm glad I was able to see this,_ Asalie thought to herself. _And I'm glad I wasn't alone-_

However her musing was cut off as Ruby began to howl, voice high-pitched and keening. "Ruby, what's wrong?" Asalie asked, becoming more and more worried with how she kept howling, eyes wide and frantic.

Suddenly, her body began to glow blue and Asalie was knocked back by the force of light- she saw Ruby start to grow larger but also saw she was slipping between two forms at once.

But then she was knocked down onto her back with a harsh weight on her chest and blue irises with red sclera staring down at her before she saw a looming mouth of razor sharp fangs.

 _ **"Screee!"**_ Pell screeched as she flew down on the form and dug her talons into the form's back and yank them off Asalie- Kumonga quickly used his silk to try and tie them up but they slashed out easily.

Even Bishop's thunder wave attack didn't keep them down long and they were struggling to move. Asalie gasped for her breath with wide eyes as she beheld the creature before her- a wolf with dark auburn fur, a wild black and white mane and scruffy tail- her paws were rather large but she seemed to prefer on fours at the moment- her eyes were blue but the sclera red. Her jaw was trembling with a closed smile, as though trying to suppress laughter.

The blue collar lay in shreds on the ground.

* * *

Ashwin sighed as he finished up the last of his paperwork- Arceus Almighty, he hated Faba with all the lukewarmness of a cup of old tea. For he refused to allow that man to take more time than he already had from the brunet.

 _Well, at least now I can relax-_

 **Ring-ring-ring! Ring-ring-ring! Phone call, phone call!**

The brunet closed his eyes and drew in a long breath before reaching for his cell phone- he recognized Kekoa's number and opened it up. "Hello?"

["Mr. Nalani, is Astin with you?!"] Kekoa all but shouted, voice frantic.

"No- what's wrong?"

 _["He's gone! I've been looking for him for days but I can't find him!"]_

Panic came first, followed by terror- Ashwin squashed both these down and asked, "Where did you see him last?"

["We- were going to the restaurant in the shopping district in Hau'oli- he stepped out for a few minutes- then- then I saw a crack appear in the sky-"]

Ashwin's eyes widened.

["I thought I was just seeing things- but I heard him scream and then I heard _something_ screech-"] Kekoa went on, voice cracking with a suppressed sob. ["I-I went out- and- and he was gone!"]

Ashwin's cell phone dropped from his hand and clattered against the floor.


	16. Chapter 16

lychee-ran: No, it's not a Legendary Pokemon.

Gollom voice: **You will see~ Oh yes~ You WILL see...**

Cottonmouth: OR SICKENS, AS THEY SAY

The stats aren't that bad- water bubble also ups water type moves even if special attack is garbage and is still depends on nature/characteristic IVs and EVs.

Yeah I really thought the trial would be harder than that ^^;

Gigarot: He is rather cute in the trial :) Well she might on a later date, she was stuck in the heat of battle and trial so she was a little distracted.

I played with Midnight Lycanroc first so I have a bias, even if I like Midday form better.

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Maybe they'll make it a rock/dark type later- like Tyranitar. That's be awesome.

Guest: I'm happy I amused you so :D

TheHolyBlade: Indeed.

* * *

"Woo! That was a great workout!"

Kukui sighed as he quickly drank his water bottle before splashing the rest on his head- Masou examined his newly evolved state as Torracat while the now Midday Lycanroc Amarillo gave a long yawn. He was always happy to be on Akala since his wife's main lab was there and watching over Hau and Asalie's trials were now the highlights of his day.

Not to mention being able to battle in the Battle Royal- being able to see so many different moves used so many different ways from so many different Pokemon, it was both a great help to his work and a great pleasure to witness as-

"PROFESSOR!"

Kukui stopped and looked up at the voice in time to see the Dragonite fly down towards them before crashing into the street and sliding about ten feet and coming to a halt. He blinked in surprise as Asalie jumped off it's back, wobbled a bit and then dashed right over to him, looking more scared and upset than he had ever seen her.

His eyes widened at the sight of the Lycanroc that she was supporting and trying to hold back, tied tightly in silk and paralyzed. "Please- _please do something!"_ Asalie begged him, trying to keep the Lycanroc from pouncing.

Kukui went to the Lycanroc's side, Amarillo coming up to help calm her down- Ruby howled again and tried to tackle Amarillo but he easily sidestepped her and kept her from attacking anyone else. "Get a poke-ball out!" Kukui barked.

Asalie obeyed and pulled out the nest ball before throwing it at Ruby- it shook a few times before clicking shut. "Let's go- my wife's lab is just over here!"

They got to the building and burst in- a woman with pure white hair tied back and goggles on her forehead, bright yellow eyes, olive skin and had a labcoat over a long-sleeved jumpsuit that looked like something out of TRON and bulky gloves and boots came out to meet them. "Orion-?"

"Magnolia! We've got a Pokemon that needs quarantine!" Kukui shouted and the woman quickly nodded, barking to her assistants, "Come on people- get her to the panic room!"

They rushed her into a padded room along with several people wearing body armor over their labcoats before slamming it shut. Ruby continued to howl harshly and Asalie winced, tears sliding down her face as her hands gripped opposite arms. That was when Kukui finally noticed the bloody scratches on said limbs, her legs and her cheeks, her shirt and shorts shredded apart.

"I can take care of her," Professor Burnet said, taking a medical kit to her side.

Over the next ten minutes, she had cleaned the scratches and bandages them up snugly. She also kept talking to the brunette gently to keep her calm. "Lillie's already told me so much about you," she had said. "You must have made quite the impression on her."

She nodded, unable to speak as she came inside- there was something about this woman that drew Asalie to her, besides her sheer gorgeousness that would have made her more nervous if not for the aforementioned situation.

 _Feels like home-_

She was eventually coaxed into one of the bedrooms- Professor Burnet made her home there as well- and Asalie fell into a troubled sleep.

* * *

When the brunette woke back, she felt nausea and nearly threw up when she shifted into a sitting position. After heading into the bathroom and seeing the bandages, the previous night came rushing back.

She barely succeeded in stifling a hiccuping sob, wiping at her eyes harshly. She found that someone had left the medical kit from last night there with instructions on how to change the bandages herself. Asalie rubbed at the area of her upper arms as she remembered how she had been scratched and nearly bitten by the Lycanroc after her evolution.

But as she took off the bandages, Asalie was startled to find that the scratches, so wide and ragged the night before, had healed into fine lines as though weeks had passed since the time of injury. The brunette examined all the scratches she could and even found that they weren't even swelling and that were wasn't any bruising around them either.

Finally she decided "better safe than sorry" and re-applied the ointment and bandages, resolving to ask how this might have happened. She went through her spare clothing to find her spare t-shirt and pants from when she first got to Alola, as her shorts had been ruined and her tank-top shredded. Her jacket was still intact as she had stuffed it into her bag and she pulled it on- her hair remained free. She double-checking everything one last time and heading up the stairs.

Professor Burnet was talking softly to Kukui, who was covered in scratches being bandaged and his labcoat was in shreds. "Um-"

The two professors glanced up and Kukui gave a wave to her. "Hey Asalie- got to see you up!" Professor Burnet said with a smile.

She nodded to this before asking, "How is Ruby?" voice hoarse.

"She's going to be okay- she just needs time," the white-haired professor assured her.

"In the meantime, can you tell us how this happened?" Kukui asked.

Asalie swallowed the lump in her throat before she explained what had happened- beating Kiawe's trial, watching the sunset and Ruby evolving.

"All right, I think I get it," Kukui said after she had finished. "Did you know that Rockruff can evolve into different forms depending on the time of day?"

The brunette shook her head before Kukui went on. "When the sun is out and it's day, Rockruff evolves into Midday Lycanroc."

He gestured to Amarillo at this. "These are usually more solitary creatures because they don't want to start needless bloodshed or fighting- they are incredibly loyal to their trainers and are swift fighters."

"But when the moon is up in the sky during night, Rockruff will evolve into Midnight Lycanroc."

Kukui looked towards the door leading to the quarantine area. "These love fighting and the stronger the opponent, the more excited they become. Trainers can draw it's strength out but it hates those who force it to do something against their will or disagree with them."

"Is that why she was so out of control?"

"Yeah- sometimes when the personality of the Rockruff in question is at odds with the form they evolve into, they are torn between two different temperaments and it's incredibly jarring for them," Kukui went on.

"What- what can we do?"

"Lycanroc typically need up to three days following their evolution to grow used to their new form's temperament- but anything after that time is up to the trainer. All we can do for now is wait."

* * *

Asalie got out her team outside the building and shakily explained what had happened. Bishop looked worried and Pell gently Asalie while Kumonga lowered the part of his unsubmerged head onto the top of Asalie's head in a show of support.

"Nebby, use- um- splash!"

The brunette froze at Lillie's voice and saw the blonde by the inside of the walls with Nebby. **"Pew?"**

"Heh- just like Asalie..." the blonde said with a prideful smile.

Asalie felt her face turn warm and she was about to back up but her foot came down on a discarded foam cup, the sound alerting Lillie to her. "Asalie-!" she said in surprise, face red before she shook her head and came over. "It's been a while since I last saw you!"

"Yeah, it has," the brunette agreed.

That was when Lillie noticed the Datrix, Magnemite and Araquanid and nearly jumped in surprise before saying, "You're team's gotten bigger- Pellimore's even evolved!"

Pell beamed at the blonde's praise and allowed her to run a gentle hand through her feathers before looking at Bishop and Kumonga. "You look like you've gotten stronger," she said the former before turning to the latter. "It's nice to meet you!"

Asalie smiled softly at this and turned to the Araquanid. "This is Lillie- Lillie, this is Kumonga."

"It's nice to meet you!"

 **"Araaa..."** Kumonga rumbled, looking happy to have met someone who didn't shy away from his form.

"How were your trials? It must have been very difficult..."

"They are pretty tough- but I;m getting through them okay," Asalie said, showing her her trainer passport.

"I would think so- oh, but your injuries-!"

Asalie looked at the bandages on her arms and cheek before her gaze softened with worry. "These didn't come from the trials."

"Oh- did- did someone attack you? Was it those Team Skull people again?"

The brunette shook her head and explained what had happened and the blonde hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry that happened," she said. "But Ruby's in the best possible hands right now- and once she's done, I know you'll do your best to help her."

Asalie sighed into the embrace, eyes closing as she hugged her back. "Thanks..."

Bishop, Pell, Kumonga and Nebby all joined around the hug.

* * *

 _Oh sweet buttery Arceus, is that asshole STILL here?!_

Asalie's eyebrow twitched as she saw the same guy with the Stoutland from when she first came to the city, STILL in their way. Lillie had suggested some ways to pass the time included doing jobs for people- that was how she was able to get some money on the side.

However their walk was interrupted by the same jackass who nearly ran her over and had no concern for anyone save getting as many items as possible!

"Okay okay, I'm getting out of the way! Sheesh..." the guy muttered as he pulled the Stoutland out of their way so they could get to the beach.

"Oh hello Lillie!" the lifeguard cheerily greeted her. "Come for another job?"

"Actually, I've got someone who'd like to try the job," Lillie replied, gesturing to the brunette. "This is Asalie."

The lifeguard dropped from his seat and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you Asalie- you can call me Akamu."

Asalie nodded in acknowledgement before Akamu explained the job.

"Pyukumuku often end up washing onto the beach and people often times accidentally step on them- the little pink bits on their bodies emit poison so often times we need medical attention brought it. So it order to keep the Pyukumuku and the people from getting injured, we have to get them back out to sea. Think you can handle it?"

Asalie nodded again and was given special water and poison proof gloves and boots to get started.

"Have you done this before?" she asked Lillie.

"Only a few times- I took all day and sometimes it took me a while to work up the courage to move even one," she admitted sheepishly. "But Mr. Akumu was very understanding and still paid me for my work."

The brunette smiled a bit at this.

"Good job!" Akumu praised her before giving her a wad of cash that made her eyes widen in shock. "Pyukumuku often wash up on the beach so feel free to come back tomorrow if you feel up for it!"

* * *

"Twenty thousand..."

Asalie was still in shock at how much she had been paid- the two were eating a quiet lunch together on one of the beach tables shielded by an umbrella. The brunette had counted the money given to her four times now and it still added up to twenty thousand pokeyen.

"I was surprised too," Lillie said as she sipped from her straw, moomoo milk still frosty. "Though I didn't get paid as much as you- you must have done a better job than me."

"To be honest, you don't exactly strike me as someone who's trying to get different jobs," Asalie admitted before wondering if that was too far.

Lillie only gave a small chuckle at this before saying, "Neither did I- but I wanted to try and pay Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet back for letting me stay with them."

This was the second instance of Asalie hearing of her living arrangements. She looked at her own lemonade before asking, "So, you decided to try and live on your own then?"

"You could say that."

"... hey Lillie- you don't have answer me if you don't want to but-"

"You want to know what happened three months ago, right?" Lillie deduced before continuing. "I wanted to know more about Nebby- about their species Cosmog, I mean. So I decided to speak with Professor Burnet directly. But I got lost and ended up on the shore, unconscious."

She looked down at her drink with a soft smile. "She listened to my story, staying up all night to hear it. She even got her husband, Professor Kukui, to lend me his loft to stay in and told him to help investigate Nebby's origins too. She would have even enlisted Professor Juniper and Birch's help if she could."

"Professor Burnet has been so kind, and she's still helping me try to find a way to get Nebby home and Professor Kukui's been nothing but supportive of us both. They've... they've been like a real mother and father to me..."

Asalie looked at the blonde, gaze soft. It had been so long since her own mother _-_ went away. She still missed her greatly. But hearing Lillie talk about the professors like a mother and father sent new worries through her- how did she end up unconscious? And what happened to her real mother and real father?

She remembered when Lillie started crying when she had asked a few months ago and decided not to pursue the question further. "I'm happy that you're happy," she said truthfully.

The blonde looked surprised at this and she smiled back, cheeks a bit pink. Asalie couldn't help the smile spreading on her face and she had to dip her mouth into her drink to mask it.

* * *

The two spent the rest of the day together before Asalie and Lillie went back to Professor Burnet's lab.

"Welcome back, Lillie, Asalie!" Professor Burnet greeted the two with a cheerful wave.

"How is Ruby?" she asked immediately.

"She still needs two and a half days of rest until we can admit visitors- but she's being cared for by the best we've got."

Asalie deflated at that and Lillie put a comforting hand on her back. "She's going to be okay- I know she will."

The brunette could only nod listlessly before retiring to the Pokemon Center for the night. She could barely sleep, the good day all but gone from her mind with the reminder of the Lycanroc in pain. She couldn't help feeling it was unfair that she just accepted Ruby onto her team only for something like this to happen to her.

If this was going to happen either way when she evolved-

She shook her head. _Kukui and Burnet both said that she was in good hands- they have no reason to lie to me and no reason not to..._

She kept drifting in and out of sleep until when it was around 4 AM, she decided that that was all the sleep she was going to get and went downstairs. There was a different Nurse Joy on this shift and she requested her team and promised not to wake them up. The Nurse Joy gave them to her, albeit with some trepidation and Asalie stepped outside.

The early morning was cool and quiet, though some people were already getting up- the sky was still dark but becoming more pastel with each minute. Asalie looked over her ride pager as she settled onto Route 4 before typing a few buttons and getting the armor out. Ten minutes later, the Dragonite from the previous night came down to greet her.

Her stomach was still twisting itself with fear but Asalie boarded the dragon and directed him to the Royal Avenue, as it was the closest to her destination. After landing quietly and giving the Dragonite some poke-beans in thanks, Asalie walked down the route quietly until she came to the captain's barricade, trying to ignore the volcano/mountain right by her and the smell of fire. She showed her trainer passport to the guard and was allowed through the tunnel.

Route 8 was much more spacious and modern than any route Asalie had come across and she even spotted a motel down the area. However this was lost to her as she just walked down, lost in her thoughts- all she did was pick up the occasional item or skip the occasional rock (Astin showed her how to do so, though she usually sunk 3 out of 5 rocks she threw).

Eventually the sun began to rise and light spilled over the horizon as Asalie made it to the Pokemon Center by the motel- it was 5:30 AM at this point and Asalie found no joy in watching day slowly start to break. She still didn't want to wake up her team and kept walking down the route until she came the to the edge of a lush jungle- a few yards forward later, she found a trial gate with green accents.

 _..._

After a minute, Asalie walked back and started going around the motel out of boredom- she had yet to check out the other one she had seen on Route 2 so she was a bit curious. If anything, it might kill more time.

The motel itself was rather modest, with a few rooms and only one story high. There was a receptionist desk at the southern end with a drink machine what was unfortunately out of order for the moment and a slowly rotating ceiling fan that barely moved the air inside the room.

"If you're looking for a room, we're booked," one of the receptionists told her with a bored tone.

"I'm just looked around."

"Hmm... then get the fuck out."

"Don't be rude!" the other receptionist admonished her co-worker before saying quickly, "Would you like to look at our pamphlets? We've even got free ice!"

Asalie gave her a little smile before looking them over just to give the receptionist peace of mind- most were just celebrities and trainers while a few others were about an upcoming construction project around Mt. Lanakila. She also noticed that a month's rent for the motel was 65,000 pokeyen.

After leafing through everything, Asalie left the receptionist desk room. _At least that killed some time, albeit not much,_ she thought, walking down the platform. _Isn't there anything else that can-_

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as one of the planks in the wooden platform collapsed and she pitched forward onto her face. A moment later, she felt someone's shoe hit her before her breath was knocked out as a body fell right on her- a sheet fell on her head, obscuring her vision.

A very confusing minute later, Asalie managed to untangle herself from the person who tripped over her and finally got the sheet off her head- there was a basket of linens knocked over from where someone wearing an apron, rubber gloves and handkerchief pulling their hair back was trying to gather them up.

She quickly went to help gather up the blankets and sheets, stammering out an apology,"I'm so sorry, here let me-"

"I'm fine, I can get it-" the person muttered and Asalie froze at the familiar voice.

She turned to see Gladion properly, mouth dropping open at the blond. He fixed her with the flattest glare he was capable of and the brunette could only stare at the sight before- it was too surreal to even draw humor from, everything about the scene clashing with her preconceived beliefs of the blond.

His scowl only deepened when he got a few sheets and a blanket that had dirt on them from the fall. "Uh-"

 _"Leave."_

 _"Leaving!"_ she squeaked before getting to her feet and running as fast as she could away- she didn't stop until she was by the tunnel to Wela Park, chest heaving as she took in air.

 _I succeeded, kind of? I've definitely got something ELSE to think about now!_ she thought, still reeling from what she saw- with that, several more questions entered her head concerning the blond and those he was affiliated with.

 _How does Gladion afford to live there? Does he get the money from Team Skull? Is Team Skull actually worth the pay? Does Team Skull even GET paid?_

Her thoughts came to a halt as something suddenly yanked her bag backwards and Asalie barely kept herself from falling backwards. She yanked the bag back to find a Magby clinging to it as it tried to open it up.

"Oh for-" Asalie muttered as she yanked her bag back from the Magby- sending it flying a few feet- and all but ordered, "Come here!"

This made the fire type stare at her, half incredulous half impressed before it sauntered over. Asalie then spilled her items onto the ground and held them up one and by one for it, asking each time, "Is this what you want?"

After going through every item- and keeping them out of reach so they didn't burst into the flames- Asalie repacked them up. "Now if you don't mind..." she groused irritably and walked away from the park.

She didn't get further than a few yards before a pebble was thrown at her head- the brunette whirled around to see the Magby from where it threw the projectile. Her eyes narrowed sternly but the Magby wasn't deterred and it seemed to grin as best it could with it's bill-like mouth.

Asalie didn't pay it any more mind and went back on her way, occasionally looking back to find the Magby not far behind- sometimes it threw bits of pebbles and clumps of sand at her but she learned to dodge them. These were usually small bits and barely hurt after a few minutes but after she barely dodged a glass shard that left a scrape against her left cheek, Asalie had enough.

Temper flaring, she stormed back to the Magby with an angry scowl but the fire type didn't even look scared- it anything, it looked pleased to have gotten her attention. "All right you've got my attention and you've already gone through my shit- what is it that you want?" she asked, arms crossed.

The Mabgy's expression became gleeful before it suddenly spat out an ember at her and she barely dodged the attack- she switched Kumonga in and the water spider yawned blearily as he looked at his surroundings. The fire type's eyes widened before it began to shake with excitement and it spat out a foul smelling smoke that blinded Kumonga partly.

Asalie looked through her battle case and found some of the x-items that Hau had given her and ones she had picked up during her traveling. She cracked open the magenta capsule and threw it to the water/bug type to return his accuracy to normal- she wasn't taking any chances in him missing the Magby.

"Scald!" she barked and the Araquanid landed the attack, knocking the Magby back and into a rock before it slid down, out cold.

She gave one final glare at the fire type's unconscious form before storming off. _Like hell I'm getting another teammate while Ruby's like this!_

* * *

Asalie found herself back at the Pokemon Center and checked the time- it wasn't even 10 AM. Her head thunked against the center's wall and she gave groan of frustration- _why couldn't time go faster?!_

She heard a thumping noise and stopped banging her head to glance up- she couldn't see the source but knew it was coming from the motel. She walked over carefully and crept behind the building until she saw the source of the noise.

There were two close lines set up with some sheets and blankets hanging from them and Gladion was whipping one of them to get the wrinkles out before hanging it up the dry. She was still wary of him, but right now her curiosity and the need for anything to pass the time faster was stronger.

"So you can afford to pay 65,000 a month," Asalie asked as she stepped out, "but you hand-wash and air dry your laundry?"

Gladion didn't look up from hanging up the linen as he said, "I told you to leave."

"You didn't say I couldn't come back."

"Do you seriously have nothing better to do than annoy me and invade my personal space?"

"Honestly, no I don't."

He turned around to give her a pointed stare, hands resting on his hips. "And here I thought you were more rational and wary than your friend. In fact, you've been more wary of me than most people."

"I am, but seeing you like this makes it incredibly hard to feel 'wary'," Asalie admitted with a sweatdrop.

Gladion blinked once, his expression never faltering before returning to the task at hand. Asalie watched him for a bit, honestly fascinated- his expression at work looked so much like Lillie when she was concentrating on reading.

"How is your Pokemon doing?" Gladion asked once he folding his laundry up and Asalie froze at the question before he reiterated, "One of your poke-balls is missing and wanting to pass the time to wait for them to get better is common."

The brunette's hands shook as she tried to speak but her mouth clamped shut. "Whatever," the blond ultimately shrugged. "I can glean more off you with a single glance than you can asking a string of questions."

This statement alone made the _fear_ rush back and Asalie remembered just who she was talking to- that the boy before her was a trainer who could easily beat her team down and worked for a group intent on causing mayhem and was perfectly capable of said mayhem unlike his co-workers. She took a shaking step back and another before she was running from him as fast as she could.

* * *

Asalie struggled to catch her breath properly as she slid against one of the trees by the trial gate- she couldn't go back the way she came by the park and going to the Pokemon Center was exactly what she'd expect he'd expect.

 _Stupid, stupid!_ she berated herself angrily. _What were you thinking?!_

Her knees drew up to her chest and her arms curled around them as she buried her head between them.

It wasn't even 10:30 yet.

* * *

20,000 yen would equal to about 170 US dollars and 65,000 yen is about 558 dollars.


	17. Chapter 17

lychee-ran: Gollom voice: **You will see~ Oh yes~ You will see...**

Yeah- It makes more sense to use them as transportation as Dragonites can apparently circle the globe faster than the speed of sound and it's large size can carry several people. (Author opinion: AddingCharizardseemsratherpanderingasitdoesn'tevenshowupintheAlolanpokedexandtherewereplentyofotherchoicesforflyingPokemonifyoudisagreeIrespectyouropinionsopleaserespectmine)

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Indeed :(

Gigarot: I had to do a lot of editing of the chapters before I finished before the chapter was posted. I had originally thought yen was like a penny so finding that it was worth something different surprised me- I still liken pokeyen to pennies in my head, though.

There's plenty of people in Alola who offer pokeyen for catching certain Pokemon (Best incentive for filling the 'dex in my opinion). In fact, a subplot for how Ruby originally joined was Asalie catching her so the person could pay her but insulted the Rockruff, leading to Asalie to take her onto her team out of pity.

* * *

Asalie awoke from another restless night, the bags underneath her eyes all the more prominent. She blearily dragged herself out of bed and went through the motions of hygiene and cleaning before pulling on her green jacket, shirt and pants. She only tied her hair back in a loose, downwards ponytail before stepping out of the Pokemon Center in Paniola.

She didn't know how she got through the rest of the previous day but she managed it- by the time she looked up from where she had curled up by the trial gate, the sun was already beginning to set. She couldn't go back to the center by the motel and REALLY didn't want to deal with "Masked Royal" or the chance of running into Gladion at the Royal Avenue- so she backtracked to Paniola Town and collapsed in the last room they had to give out. Though she was tired, she kept waking up during the night just like the previous night.

The brunette took the Dragonite- investigation on his harness revealed his name was Iokua- to fly back to Burnet's lab. While she still didn't enjoy flying, Asalie was at last confident in the dragon's ability to keep her from plummeting to her death.

The white-haired woman was already waiting for her with a cup of coffee in hand. "Morning Asalie- would you like to see Ruby?"

Asalie nodded before she followed the professor into the quarantine area- she remembered how Ruby had howled and snarled before when she was brought down there. Her hand came up to her other arm as she remembered the scratches- they had already healed since and left no visible marks on her skin.

They went to the quarantine area and Asalie saw Ruby fast asleep on a Pokemon mattress with a machine hooked up to her behind a glass wall. "She calmed down enough last to come out of the panic room- now we're just looking over her vitals for now, though she's as healthy as a Mudsale," Brunet told her.

Asalie sagged with relief at this before kneeling down by the glass wall. "Thank you..." she whispered.

Burnet laid a comforting hand on her shoulder before the brunette looked up and asked, "Professor Burnet, why didn't Professor Kukui's Lycanroc go through this?"

"There's a better person to ask about that- Kahuna Olivia has a Midnight Lycanroc herself. In fact, you can ask her about it- she's by Diglett Tunnel."

* * *

 **"Lucky bunch- I'd like a place named after me,"** Rotom-Dex groused petulantly as they looked at Diglett tunnel- Asalie smiled a little at this.

 _I wonder if this Diglett tunnel is connected to the other Diglett tunnel..._

Asalie headed to the tunnel, south of the center of Heahea City. She had seen Diglett's cave once and refused to go inside, lest the ground types scare her or trip her with their little heads.

 _Do Digletts even have anything other than a head?_

The brunette shook her head to dissuade the thoughts concerning the ground types- she had more important reasons to come to this area.

She entered the cave, keeping Pell with her in case of wild Pokemon, and quickly spotted Olivia talking with two people wearing the same uniform as Ashwin. She waited until they were done and stepped forward until the Kahuna noticed her- she was still as gorgeous as the brunette remembered her, even in the dark.

"Hello Asalie- sorry but the Diglett's tunnel is on lockdown," she greeted her. "Some Team Skull Grunts were causing trouble with smoke bombs to try and catch the Diglett en-mass and it caused them to panic and nearly collapse the entire route."

Asalie rubbed her temple at this- it sounded exactly what she's expect the grunts to do. "I'm not here for that- I'm here to talk about Midnight Lycanroc."

Olivia looked interested in this before she brought out a Midnight Lycanroc- Asalie jumped a bit, still on edge from when Ruby had gone out of control. But this Midnight Lycanroc only gave her a cheeky smile and wave.

"This is Nakine- she's been with me for many years now," Olivia introduced the rock type with a smile and Nakine gave a sloppy salute with a fanged smirk. "So, what do you want to know?"

Asalie explained what happened when Ruby evolved and ended it with, "Professor Kukui's Lycanroc evolved a few hours before Ruby but he's fine- so why did she freak out like that?"

Olivia looked pensive before saying, "Keep in mind most of this is from what I've personally seen and what we've managed to compile on Midnight Lycanroc as well as Professor Kukui's own findings, okay?"

"Okay."

"Pokemon evolution in general is more akin to metamorphosis in that the Pokemon changes form into a new creature for strength that wasn't available in it's previous form," the Kahuna explained. "Some 'evolutions' can change the Pokemon's form more than it's personality, sometimes it can change it's personality more than it's form and sometimes it's both."

"Midday Lycanroc is considered a more 'natural' evolution as it is still indistinguishable from it's previous form, along with it's general personality. Now I can't speak for all Lycanrocs who evolve into Midday form but a general consensus shows that they're more comfortable in Midday form than Midnight form because of this."

Asalie remembered Ruby's form. "Is that why this is so hard for her? Is the form she evolved into so different that it hurts her?"

"Not all Midnight forms go through this," Olivia assured her. "Nakine was bouncing off the walls with glee at her evolution."

"Was that because of her personality as a Rockruff?"

"That contributed to her adjusting better after evolution, yes."

"What if their personalities aren't compatible?"

Olivia looked thoughtful at this before saying, "That depends on what you mean by 'personalities aren't compatible'. Because regardless of who they evolve into, Rockruff always retain a part of themselves, they just change another part in response to their evolution.

Most Midday Lycanroc become more solitary even if their Rockruff form enjoyed being surrounded by teammates and by their trainer. Most Midnight Lycanroc become more inclined to battle even if their Rockruff form preferred not to fight. But we don't know if this has to do with evolution or rather their reaction to said evolution."

"So what do I do then?"

"Be supportive- show that nothing's changed," Olivia said with a comforting smile. "Show her she's as apart of your team as she's always been and let her figure what she can out herself."

 _... that might not work as well as she thinks,_ Asalie thought, remembering how she reacted to when Ruby first came along. Regardless, she knew what the Kahuna was trying to convey and knew that her team would do the same in their own way.

"Thank you, Kahuna Olivia," the brunette said, bowing her head in acknowledgement.

"Of course- good luck with your next trial. And if you want any more information on Midnight Lycanroc, I've got a book or two in Konikoni City I can loan you."

* * *

The rest of the day passed by a little better after her talk with Olivia- Asalie stayed in the lab for the rest of it so she wouldn't miss Ruby waking up. Pell and Bishop stayed out with her, though they moved outside so Kumonga could wait with them. When the sun began to set, one of Burnet's aides suddenly ran outside.

"Excuse me, Trainer Asalie?" he addressed her. "Your Lycanroc has woken-"

Asalie shot to her feet and raced inside at that, Bishop and Pell following and Kumonga tried his damnedest to get through the door but was too big before the brunette doubled back and brought him into the net ball. They ran past the desk and to the glass wall room and found Ruby yawning blearily as she stretched on the mattress and the aide allowed her inside. "Ruby?"

The Lycanroc perked up and saw Asalie- she looked excited for a moment before stopping and tentatively coming over to her, expression wary. Asalie tentatively approached her, kneeling before the rock type so they could see eye to eye. Her new form was similar to Nakine's as having dark red fur, a white and black mane that slicked around her neck and over her head, oversized white paws with black claws and a more bipedal form. But her form looked stockier and she was a little shorter as well more stocky with blunter claws.

Ruby's eyes were still blue but the sclera was a faint red now.

"Welcome back," Asalie finally got the words out, smiling as best she could.

Ruby's eyes widened a fraction but her expression remained the same. "It looks like she'll be able to be let out early- lucky you!" Burnet said with a smile.

The Lycanroc nodded to this before attempting to walk on her back legs only for her front ones to fall onto the ground, over-sized paws gripping the floor and leaving scratches. Asalie leaned down to help her only for Ruby to firmly push her away before wobbling back up and made her way over to Pell and Bishop. The Magnemite involuntarily moved back while Pell held her wing out to the Lycanroc's paw.

* * *

The next week were spent on training and helping Ruby integrate back into the team, as well as preparing for the next trial and studying Midnight Lycanroc form from the information that Rotom-Dex supplied.

 **"Midnight Lycanroc- the Wolf Pokemon. The more intimidating the opponent, the more this Pokemon's blood boils. It will attack with no regard for it's own safety- It battles by goading it's enemy into attacking them, withstanding the hit and using it's momentum to smash it's head and rocky mane into them."**

This had worried her- she knew that not all Midnight Lycanroc were the same, but she knew that the information displayed was not there because a ten year old wrote it.

As for Ruby's post-evolution behavior, she seemed more distant and serious- Pell and Kumonga were both trying to be supportive of Ruby and show that things were okay while Bishop seemed more wary and unsure of how to approach her. Asalie did her best to show Ruby that she was still apart of the team, keeping her outside of the poke-ball to spend more time with the Lycanroc.

She didn't know if Ruby appreciated this or if she was annoyed- the Lycanroc gave no indication of either. Lillie often stopped by to either keep them company or help Asalie find more information on Midnight Lycanroc. Hau was training for Kiawe's trial and spending a lot of time at the Royal Avenue to polish his battling skills- she didn't inquire if he saw Gladion or not.

After the eight day, Asalie looked at the trial gate her full team. Kumonga had neutral resistance but his bug type moves and Pell's flying type moves would be the best bet with Bishop's resistance- Ruby remained outside her poke-ball on the brunette's insistence, though she wouldn't be battling the Totem Pokemon unless there was no one left.

"Leroy Jenkins," she muttered to herself as she went past the gate and into the jungle.

* * *

Lush Jungle was what it sounded like- a beautiful jungle ripe with flowers, vegetation and grass Pokemon.

"Thanks for stopping by!"

Asalie gave a nod to Mallow as she went over to the trial captain from where she was perched on a tree's lower branches before jumping down to meet the brunette.

"Now for my trial, you're going to help me- er, that is, gather certain ingredients- er, I mean, materials for me!" Mallow began before quickly backtracking.

"Ingredients for what?" Asalie asked, eyebrow raised a bit- she didn't need Lana's advice to see a bad liar.

Mallow blushed a bit. "Okay okay, you caught me..."

She handed Asalie a list. "This is a list of ingredients that I need you to find for me," before handing her a small sack, "and you put them in this forage bag. You'll also need Stoutland to find the ingredients since it's nose is so sharp and most of them are in the grassier parts of the jungle. Oh and try to be back within the hour!"

Asalie accepted the items and Mallow added, "Of course this doesn't sound like anything you can't do- after all, you got a Z-Stone straight from Tapu Koko itself, right?"

"Is that what that stone's called?"

"Mmm-hmm! Trial captains and Kahunas are given them when they reach their station," the green-haired girl explained. "Lots of luck!" before disappearing into the jungle.

"Okay let's see..." Asalie muttered as she got out the list to look over.

Mallow's Special

\- Mago Berries (x2)

\- Tiny Mushroom (x3)

\- Revival Herb (x1)

\- Miracle Seed (x1)

 _Ingredients is right,_ the brunette thought, _this looks like some sort of medicinal remedy._

She brought out the Stoutland- Malia- who quickly took to sniffing about for these ingredients and walked alongside her. The Lycanroc sniffed the air cautiously, trying to get used to her new senses as she walked alongside Asalie as they began to search through the forest.

Malia found the miracle seed and the three tiny mushrooms growing beside and atop some larger trees. Ruby was able to find the Revival Herb in the tall grass and knocked down the Fomantis who tried to attack her with ease. Asalie found the mago berries growing under the brush and picked them before barely dodging a Paras' swipe, though her shirt wasn't as lucky.

"Sweet, you got everything!" Mallow said cheerily as Asalie returned with the bag before noticing the cut in her shirt exposing her belly. "Yikes, you okay there?"

"Yeah, it was just the shirt," the brunette replied, though she did feel sad that this shirt had been ruined- this was one of her oldest articles of clothing.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Kiawe's voice came from behind as he and Lana came over to them, each holding a bag.

"How are you, Mallow, Asalie?" Lana asked and the brunette couldn't help the light scowl on her face at the blue-haired girl- lesson taught or not, she was tricked and nearly drowned and that was not something easily forgotten or forgiven.

Mallow took the items from each of them- a thick club and rare bone from Kiawe and a bottle of fresh water and rocky helmet from Lana and the foraging bag from Asalie. "All right, let's cook up a storm!"

She laid out a picnic blanket out on the floor, set the bone and club to the right and the foraging bag in front while putting the rocky helmet in the middle before pouring the fresh water into it. Then, she put the items Asalie collected in. She then took the club and the bone before mercilessly pounding, crushing, grinding and beating the ingredients into a fine concoction.

"Does she always cook like this?" Asalie whispered to Kiawe- she didn't trust Lana to give her a straight answer.

"Of course- why do you ask?"

Asalie looked back at Mallow as she ground the rare bone down and some of the paste splattered on her cheek and lower lip.

"... no reason," she said, deciding not to open that can of beans.

Once they were done, Asalie gasped as an incredibly spicy aroma attacked her nose and she clasped her hand over her nose and mouth as her eyes burned. At the same time, she felt a piercing gaze and felt the same powerful aura from before she heard and felt the booming footsteps behind her as the trial captains quickly jumped back to give her space.

The grin from before spread on her face before she could stop it, hands trembling as she pulled out Pell's poke-ball. She turned around to see the giant Lurantis flickering with green light looming over her but there was no fear in her as she brought Pell out and shouted, "Use pluck!"

The Lurantis absorbed light into it's blade-like arms before it's body shimmered- Asalie saw the leftovers of a mental herb and Lurantis shot the powerful solar blades at Pell. But the Dartix was already moving out of the way of the attack before Asalie could worry and flew straight at the Lurantis.

However, her attack was blocked by a Trumbeak who forced her back with it's own pluck attack and nearly knocked her out. Even worse was that the little damage Pell did cause, Lurantis healed itself with synthesis. Asalie looked between her poke-balls on who to bring in before Ruby yanked Bishop's poke-ball away and threw him out.

Asalie stared in surprise before quickly calling out, "Pell, use growl- Bishop, thunderwave whoever you can- we're gonna be in for a long haul!" before pulling out super potions and some fresh waters out and setting them down so she could reach them better.

The Dartix flew about as fast as she could, growling lowly to lower both Pokemon's attacks while Bishop withstood what they had thanks to their steel type and paralyzed Trumbeak. Soon, even Trumbeak's pluck barely caused any damage for Pell and Bishop's thunderwave quickly hindered them both. However, Trumbeak's screech quickly took down Pell's defenses as she struggled to keep flying- Lurantis' x-scissors quickly cut her down and Asalie felt dread as Pell crashed into the trees.

Before she could call out to her, the Dartix had already gotten back into the air with her eyes narrowed with determination- she flew in before Lurantis could cut her down again and scored a critical hit with pluck, knocking it out. Bishop meanwhile already knocked Trumpeak out with their thundershock, the bird unable to cause any damage to them.

Asalie ran over to the two to heal them up. "Great job, you two," she said with a grin- Pell gave a little smile and Bishop buzzed softly as the three trial captains came back over to her.

"Th-that was amazing!" Mallow exclaimed, trying to hide how her hands trembled as they clapped together. "That Lurantis bowed right down to you!"

"It seems none of our Totem Pokemon were a match for you," Kiawe remarked, expression stony.

"Indeed," Lana agreed, voice subdued.

"W-well congratulations are in order- you cleared all three trials on Akala Island! H-here you go~"

A green crystal with a leaf insignia, a shaky stamp of approval and ten nest balls later, later, Mallow showed her how to move- she crossed her arms in front of her before crouching down. A moment later, she slowly sprung up with her hands spread high in the air. She then picked up the rocky helmet bowl- shaking in her hands- and asked, "S-so, who's up for a taste?"

"If you insist..." Kiawe said while Lana had already snuck a fingerful.

A moment later, both trial captains were red in the face and steam was coming off them as they ran around, screaming at how spicy it tasted. Professor Kukui quickly avoided them both and ran over to the bowl. "Ooh, a tasty Mallow Special!" he exclaimed before downing the whole thing and licking his lips. "Mmm, that hits the spot!"

"Well, at least someone here has taste," Mallow said with a weak laugh.

"Professor, what are you doing here?" the brunette asked.

"I came down to congratulate you on completing your last trial on Akala island of course!" Kukui said. "You can challenge the kahuna now!"

"Let me catch my breath post-trial, won't you?"

The professor laughed at this before saying, "Konikoni City is just past Diglett Tunnel- let's head back to Heahea City."

As the two of them headed out of Lush Jungle while Kiawe and Lana seemed to have finally soothed their burning mouths- when they were certain the two were gone, Mallow sunk to her knees, trembling. Kiawe and Lana went to her side and held her hands tightly to help calm her.

"What-what was that?" she whispered, teeth gritting together to stop from chattering. "Was that- what you two saw before?"

"Yes- this happened when Salazzle appeared, as well as Lana's Wishiwashi," Kiawe affirmed, placing his other hand on her shoulder to sooth her.

"I see little reason to keep this from Olivia or the other trial captains," Lana said, expression serious as she placed her other hand on Mallow's knee.

"But-" Mallow rasped, "do we even know what we saw?!"

"That's even more reason to be on the lookout," Kiawe told her, "so we can understand what happened."

"We can tell Olivia and the other Kahunas and Trial captains for now. Agreed?" Lana suggested.

The other two nodded in agreement and they got up and left the trial grounds.

They never felt the slited yellow eyes on them before they vanished into the shadows of Lush Forest.

* * *

Asalie and Kukui made it back to Burnet's lab and the brunette felt her already triumphant mood become even better when she saw Lillie waiting for them as well. After greeting everyone yellow, they went inside to the main lab.

Asalie remembered the room briefly, as she was more acquainted with the quarantine area- here were screens depicting different areas, several bookshelves and a smaller office in the back that was swamped with paper work.

"Congratulations on completing all three trials!" Burnet said once Asalie told her of them. "Has Hau finished too?"

"I know he was training for Kiawe's trial, though I'm not sure where he is right now," Kukui admitted before smiling confidently, "but I'm sure he'll become a great kahuna, like old Hala before him!"

"YOU REALLY THINK SO?!"

Asalie squeaked in surprise at Hau's yell, nearly jumping in the air before turning to see the green-haired boy come over to them.

"Whoa-ho!" Kukui laughed before saying, "Yeah, I really do- you've got potential, that's for sure!"

Hau's smile seemed to brighten at this and Burnet smiled as she ruffled his hair. "It's been a while, Hau- how've you been?"

"I've been great! I mean, I still have to beat Mallow's trial but I've also been battling a lot at the Royal Avenue- I think I'm getting the hang of Battle Royals!"

Kukui looked incredibly proud at this and slapped his back. "I knew you had it in you!"

"I think this is the first either of us have told you about Battle Royals," Asalie couldn't help remarking.

The professor's smile froze in place and Hau looked at him, half expecting, half confused before his fist sunk into his palm and declared, "I get it- the Masked Royal must have told you!"

 _Dammit,_ she thought as Kukui exclaimed, "YEAH!" too loudly before adding, "Yeah- since I sometimes go to him for some moves- _yeah!"_

"That's so cool! Maybe sometime I could watch you two fight!"

"Y-yeah..."

 _Never mind,_ she thought, trying to stifle a snicker at the professor's expression.

"Hau, you mentioned the last time that you'd like to hear more about what it is I do," Burnet cut in, much to Kukui's relief.

"Oh right! You said you worked with space-timey stuff, or something like that!"

"Sort of- my first work was in studying the Interdream Zone," the white-haired professor explained.

"Interdream... what?" Asalie repeated- this sounded like something out a fantasy/ scifi setting than a studying project.

"The space between dreams and reality," Lillie supplied. "She and Professor Fennel of Unova worked together through college before branching off- Professor Fennel into Dream Radar and Professor Burnet into the relationship of Pokemon and different dimensions."

The blonde blushed after her tirade but Burnet smiled at this. "That is indeed what I do- I study Pokemon and the spaces that they've been said to originate from. Though at the moment, I've been tied up with a project connected to the mysteries of Alola."

"What's that?" Hau asked.

"The Ultra Wormhole," she said, an excited grin on her face. "It's extremely rare, but sometimes a hole opens in the sky over Alola- and it appears that this rift leads to a different and unknown dimension."

"Really?" Asalie asked- she had only read of wormholes in science fiction stories but hearing that there was a possibility of one existing was one that was intriguing.

"The reason that people think there may be a mysterious dimension is because of the legends of fearsome Pokemon appearing from the Ultra Wormhole in certain Alolan legends- it's very weak as proof, but I can't ignore it. There is also plenty of evidence already in the Pokedex for the existence of different dimensions, right? In legendary Pokemon like Palkia who controls space, Giratina who lives inside it's very own dimension and even Bronzong who's said to summon rainstorms from a different world."

"Wow..." Hau said in amazement before Asalie asked, "Normal wild Pokemon already attack people, don't they? So why is it weird that these attack people too?"

"It's because the Pokemon- or rather, the creatures, that appeared from the Ultra Wormhole went way beyond that, in fighting and ferocity," Burnet said, expression becoming serious.

 _"They were called Ultra Beasts... And they were feared."_

"Ultra Beasts...?" Asalie repeated- was it just her or did the temperature drop suddenly?

"If the stories are to be believed, the guardian deities of the islands fought desperately against them," Burnet went on before adding, "But like I said, it's all legends and folktales. It's hard to know how much is true. But I would be very happy if I somehow unravel the mysteries of the Ultra Wormhole by studying the dimensional disturbances!"

Burnet must have noticed Asalie's expression as she said, "I've got plenty of books about it over by the shelves if you're interested!"

Asalie nodded faintly. She sat by Lillie to get her bearings after that talk- this was the first time of her hearing of such creatures and how they were feared. She had heard people talk about Legendary Pokemon but they were regarded as more like forces of nature and more benevolent than not. She had heard people talk about dangerous Pokemon that weren't allowed to be used by any trainers, including several poison types and Malamar and that they were dangerous because of their abilities.

But hearing Burnet talk of these... Ultra Beasts- even though the name sounded so silly, it sent a chill through her spine.

She wasn't allowed more time to muse on this as she suddenly felt something strange- the same draw to Nebby and Burnet, but so much stronger. Asalie quickly ran to the elevator, nearly knocking Hau over, and waited impatiently for it to go down. As she got outside, Asalie looked up at the sky-


	18. Chapter 18

Gigarot: Do you mean appearance-wise, personality-wise or both?

The creature's not what scared Mallow.

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Good luck with that (salutes)

lychee-ran: Gollom Voice: **You will see~ Oh yes~ You will see...**

(Has this been milked enough yet?)

* * *

"-sa! Asa! HEY ASA!"

The brunette jumped as Hau yelled to her, whirling around to the green-haired boy looking at her with confusion. "What the heck did you run away for-"

He stopped and the confusion was replaced with concern. "Asa, are you okay? You're crying."

Asalie hadn't even noticed the tears sliding down her face on their own accord, her mouth set in a teeth bared snarl- she tried to speak, but try as she might, she couldn't articulate past the lump in her throat that wouldn't leave no matter how hard she swallowed or push down the rage. Hau frowned worriedly before he took her hand and settled her down on the curb so she could calm down, breaking out the malasadas in his bag so she could nibble on one.

Once she finished eating and took the time to collect herself, the tears stopped and Asalie calmed down. "Are you feeling better?" Hau asked and she nodded to this. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

The brunette shook her head, still unable to speak and unable to understand what had just happened. Hau nodded sympathetically to this and said, "If you wanna talk anytime, I can always listen."

She nodded again and Hau smiled gently before asking, "Will you be going to Konikoni City now that you've beaten all three trials?"

She gave a little shrug- she could wait for Hau and she did want to rest properly before heading to face Olivia.

"Then I better start cooking with gas- I'm happy you got through all three trials but I can't slack off and let you get too far ahead of me now!" Hau said with a grin. "I'll see you later, Asa! Take care now!"

With that, he ran off towards Route 4 and Asalie gave a low sigh- the lump was still her throat and wouldn't leave. Why had she started crying all of a sudden- and why couldn't she even remember what had made her do so in the first place?

Even still, Hau had been telling the truth as he returned late afternoon covered in vegetation and dirt and holding a shimmering Grassium-Z in triumph. Kukui and Burnet made a celebratory dinner for both trainers in clearing all their trials and Lillie even bought a pineapple cake that Mallow had baked for her in her family's restaurant. Even better news came when they were informed that the cave had been stabilized and could be traveled through again by the next day.

Asalie spent the rest of the evening getting everything ready and making sure the batteries for the flashlight she brought along still worked, as well as making sure that she didn't leave anything behind in the center. Once she was sure everything was in order, the brunette turned in for the night.

Asalie returned them to their poke-balls, save Ruby. "Are you ready to head out?"

The Lycanroc regarded her before giving a slow nod and following the brunette to Diglett's Tunnel- Hau waved to her and the two went inside. She had only seen the original once and that had been at the entrance- Astin had nearly gotten himself buried thanks to a magnitude attack, though Ashwin had been able to dig him out and her mom had fought the ground types back.

Ruby sniffed at the ground, absorbing the new smells and sensations while Asalie kept her flashlight on hand and making sure Hau was within her sights. She found a few steel stairwells and went up them- as they neared the top, another flashlight shone on her, temporarily blinding her.

Once she got back her eyesight, Asalie was surprised and very happy to see two of her father's colleagues in front of her- a broad and tall man with red beard around his chin and a stout and muscled woman with dark blue hair- both had scars on their arms, neck and faces. _"Moira, Daniel!"_

"Oh? If it isn't lil' Asa!" the boisterous man exclaimed in delight, picking her up like she was a ragdoll.

"Long time no see, Asalie," Moira said with a smirk, ruffling her hair.

"You know these two?" Hau said in surprise.

Asalie nodded before explaining- Daniel and Moira were both Ashwin's colleagues that helped him get started with his job and put in a good work for him for their superiors. Eventually, the three became close to the point Ashwin would trust them to babysit both Astin and Asalie when they were much younger.

"You guys got transferred too?" she asked.

"Yup- in fact, we're just about finished up with our very first mission on Alola!" Daniel said, giving an exuberant thumbs up.

"With Kahuna Olivia's help, we've finally made some headway with the Diglett so people can pass through here again," the stout woman added.

"Why were they so rowdy before?" Hau asked.

"Team Skull," Daniel said with a scowl. "Those little shits tried using smoke bombs to capture them and it freaked them out so much, they nearly collapsed the tunnel."

"Be careful going through here now- there are still some Diglett who're stuck on the surface, not to mention the Zubats," Moira warned her.

"Thanks you two- are you heading to Konikoni City too?" Asalie asked.

"Yup- you wanna join us?"

With that, the four of them started their way down Diglett Tunnel- Hau was excited to meet people Asalie knew and she was happy to see more familiar faces around her. However, her good cheer came to a halt when she saw two familiar get-ups ahead who quickly noticed them as well.

"Aw, you fuckin' serious?!"

Two Team Skull grunts were by some rocks, covered in dirt and scratches. "Just what we needed- Aether punks and two brats as witnesses!" the female grunt groaned.

"We're gonna kick your asses two ways ta Sunday!" the male grunt declared.

"Stay back, lil' Asa- we got this," Daniel warned her as he and Moira got out their Pokemon- a Machoke- Gordon- and a Golduck- Jenos- respectively.

"Whoo, good luck you two!" Hau cheered them on, though there was little need of luck for the two.

Within seconds, Gordon and Jenos had beaten the Fomantis and Salandit back. "Yo, step off with the beating up- seriously, Imma chick!" the female grunt whined.

"It's the age of equality, miss," Daniel stated.

"Besides, you're hardly in a position to complain when it's your fault you're in this miss," Moira added, arms crossed.

The two grunts looked at each other- the male looked ready to say something before he threw a smokeball down. _"Eatabago'dicks!"_ he yelled as the two sped away through the smoke.

Asalie brought out Pell to help clear the smoke away with her wings but it only succeeded in making it billow out even more as she lacked the strength and wingspan to blow it away. Jenos managed to use psychic to clear the rest away but the two grunts were already gone.

"Damn," Daniel muttered.

"They won't get far- not with their teams unconscious," Moira said before turning back to the two. "Sorry kids, looks like we gotta clean up here," before pulling out a walkie-talkie from one of her pouches.

"Sure we can't help?" Asalie asked.

"You just worry about yourselves and your team," Daniel said, smiling the best he could. "You shouldn't be trying to look for people like Team Skull anyways- leave this to the grown-ups."

Hau seemed satisfied with this answer and chirped, "Okay- see you on the flip side!" before waving goodbye and dashing towards the exit.

"Understood, Branch Chief- see you then," Moira finished and put the device away. "Rather cheery fellow, your friend."

"Oh yeah," she said with a smile before turning to follow him.

* * *

KoniKoni Town reminded her of a Johtohese styled part of Celadon City, especially the styles of the houses. The smells of vendor-sold food made her mouth water and she saw some Pokemon walking around happily.

After healing her team up, Asalie quickly took a shower and put her clothes to be laundered. A trip to the boutique later and Asalie was now wearing a white t-shirt, blue and teal shorts, black sports socks, black tennis shoes and her customary green jacket- her braid now hung loosely against her shoulder.

Going out to explore the city, Asalie was relieved to see that Ruby seemed to enjoying herself, if the Lycanroc going over to see each vendor was any indication- the woman who offered a massage to the rock type definitely helped, she had yet to see Ruby so relaxed since her evolution.

There was a restaurant that had such mouth-watering smells, Asalie could feel drool slide down her jaw before she wiped it away- she didn't have a lot of money to eat out at the moment. She looked down at the paper Kukui gave her and soon found Olivia's store.

The interior nearly blinded the brunette from the light reflected off the stones and jewelry in the display cases. Blazing oranges and red, shinning whites and yellows, radiant blues and greens, gleaming purple and black danced off the walls and glass and Asalie's eyes almost hurt from the lights bouncing off the furiously polished stones.

"Excuse me- is Kahuna Olivia in right now?" she asked the cashier.

"Sorry, she's not- she's helping some kids find a missing Pokemon."

"Do you know when she'll be back?"

"Not until the evening- would you like to look around the in the meantime?"

Asalie saw nothing else better to do and examined the wares- earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings were on display, adorned with stones or not. She remembered Cece's necklace at this- she had put it inside her bag so that it wouldn't get scratched or broken during her journey. Ruby sniffed at it curiously before giving a shrug, finding nothing wrong with it.

"Excuse me, but do you know what kind of stone this is?" she asked the cashier.

The young woman took the necklace and examined it carefully, taking a tiny hammer and gently tapping it and looking at it through a magnifying glass. After a few minutes, she handed the necklace back.

"Well?"

"Looks like it's the fragment of a meteorite, scorched black and warped into a crystal-like form," she said. "It's structure is similar to star pieces and comet shards. Have you had this long?"

"No, it was given to me by a friend."

"I see."

At this, the cashier beckoned her over and Asalie leaned over the counter so the young woman could whisper, "I'd say that this is easily worth 75,000 pokeyen at least. Try to keep it safe- you don't seem the type to sell a friend's gift."

The brunette's mouth dropped open before the cashier quickly remarked, "Oh my- I'm flattered but I've already got a partner!" while pretending to blush.

Asalie stared in disbelief before furiously yanking the necklace out of the young woman's hand and slamming the door behind her as hard as she could. Ruby was startled at this change and looked at Asalie in concern as the brunette stormed out onto Route 9.

She tried to calm her breathing but the indignant rage wouldn't quiet down and the brunette found it harder and harder to fight the overwhelming urge to just scream in rage and beat something- anything- up. Finally, she brought her team out and they must have noticed her mood as Pell and Kumonga both looked concerned while Bishop looked wary.

"Let's try to get some training done before we fight Olivia- she uses rock types."

She looked for some patches of grass until she noticed a familiar sign depicting a memorial ground like back on Melemele island. Her expression darkened further at the memory of the trainers who challenged her.

* * *

Asalie didn't bother trying to reminisce in the cemetery until she was certain she had beaten every idiot who tried to challenge her- though the old woman with the Comfrey was especially irritating to deal with, though Ruby beat her down at last.

 _All right, I think I see the end of the cemetery in sight and there aren't anymore assholes around,_ she thought, eyes narrowing as a female punk paled under her glare before hastily putting away her poke-balls.

After walking further- and finding TM Leech Life, which was basically a physical version of giga drain which was awesome and teaching it to Kumonga in place of bug-bite- she let her team rest in the meantime. The sun was hovering as late afternoon began to transition into early evening.

"So, you're the one Gladion was talking about?" a woman's voice came from behind her, making Asalie freeze. "You don't look anything special to me."

She turned around to see a woman with multi colored hair, disturbing looking white eye shadow, tanktop baring her midriff with some belts and bracelets.

Asalie's eyes narrowed at the skull insignia and her team was already getting to their feet- she was in no mood for pleasantries and her previous conversation with Gladion was still fresh in her mind- she asked with a scowl, "So you're an enforcer too?"

"I'm Team Skull's admin- Plumeria," the woman stated as she started to come closer to the brunette, making her take a few steps back- the fact she hadn't taken any Pokemon out yet was rather unnerving. "You could say I'm like a big sister to all those numbskulls."

Her scowl wavered as she felt the stone wall against her back- Ruby growled lowly, hackles raised before Plumeria threw out a Salandit, Mareanie, Haunter and Alolan Grimer out in front of the four. "You _have_ realized what idiots all these guys are, right? But they've got their own kind of charm in their dumbness."

The brunette didn't trust herself to speak as Plumeria leaned her arm above Asalie's head to lean down so they could see eye to eye. "You get what I mean, don't you? Picking on my cute, dumb brothers and sisters is a good way to _piss me off_ \- and you've been going on about it too long for my liking."

The next moment, Asalie's bag was kicked out of her reach and her breath was knocked out of her by a harsh sucker punch, her head nearly knocking against the stone wall before another fist smashed into her right cheek, knocking her head to the side. She heard her team's shouts of surprise and anger only to be stopped by the four Pokemon Plumeria sent out.

Asalie swung an angry fist at Plumeria, only for the admin to easily block the punch before twisting her arm to the side and smashing her other fist against the left side of her face. She kicked out but Plumeria easily side-stepped her before smashing her leg into her shins and kneeing her in the solar plexus.

The air was driven right out of her lungs and she couldn't catch her breath before her legs gave out. But Plumeria wouldn't let her drop and grabbed her by her hair harshly before headbutting her hard enough to leave a bruise. Asalie's hands came up to grip at the admin's heads before pushing her away as hard as she could- her legs still had little strength and this ended with her falling onto her side.

Her head barely missed the stones on the ground before Plumeria kicked out at her and the brunette was barely able to roll out of the way- however, her next kick hit her face and Asalie's vision flickered from the blow and she saw one of her teeth disappear into the grass. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her team had beaten back all four of Plumeria's Pokemon and were running towards her before she felt leafy and sharp against her throat.

"That's right, stay where you are," Plumeria said in a low, flat tone as her Fomantis kept it's pincers against Asalie's neck. "You might have strong Pokemon, but that doesn't mean a damn thing right now."

Asalie was too angry at this entire situation to be afraid, even as tears of pain slide down her cheeks. She could feel the pincer dig into the skin enough to draw blood-

* * *

\- only to see Plumeria and Fotmantis suddenly be smashed against the stone wall. Asalie did a double-take, shocked and confused- she looked around for the one who knocked her back but could see no one except her team standing over Plumeria's knocked out Pokemon.

Plumeria slid down from the wall with a harsh cough, blood leaking past her lips as one hand came up to her chest while the other cradled the unconscious grass type. _"What the hell-?!"_ she rasped, staring at the brunette, stunned.

 _"Asalie!"_

She looked behind to see Moira, Daniel and a lanky middle-aged blond with a truly atrocious looking green visor standing behind her, Gordon and Jenos being brought out- the first two's expressions became furious when they saw her condition.

"It's bad enough you're challenging children, but to attack and hurt them as well- did Team Skull's standards lower recently?" the visor blond mused, voice silky and mocking.

Plumeria spat the blood out of her mouth as she shakily got back onto her feet, returning her unconscious team to their poke-balls with difficulty."If it isn't Aether Foundation- aren't you supposed to be tending to your bitch of a president's every need-" she snarled but started coughing again harshly, hand coming up against her chest again as blood slid down her jaw and onto her collarbone and shirt.

Daniel scowled angrily and Moira moved to her other poke-ball but the visor blond put a hand on her shoulder. "Keep calm- what would the president say if you charged in and possibly hurt who we're trying to help?"

"Easy for you to say, Branch Chief- you never lift a finger unless you have to," Moira growled.

"Why, I'm the last line of defense for Aether Foundation- what would become of the foundation if something happened to me? Would you take over?" the visor man asked lightly before his eyes fell on Asalie. "But you need not worry, child- we shall make sure this thug pays for her misdeeds."

"Like fuck I'd let you!" Plumeria barked as she brought out a Crobat that pulled her into the air before before Daniel and Moira could stop her. Before flying away, she yelled down to Asalie, "Consider this a warning- if I hear you're still coming after us, I'll show you just how serious I can get!" and then they were gone.

Ruby rushed to her side, gently licking her wounds and whining softly with worry while Kumonga quickly got back her bag and released Pell and Bishop. As the Dartix and Magnemite crowded around her with concern, Kumonga quickly producing silk to bandage her injuries.

"Hold on for a sec!" Moira called to her before running over with a medical kit and bowing her head to Kumonga. "Let me- I have medicine and proper tourniquets."

She took out some disinfectant and an ice pack, giving the latter to Asalie to hold against her swollen jaw and forehead while she cleaned the bruises and scrapes before bandaging them up. "She got away- but I'm glad you weren't hurt worse," Daniel said as Moira gently cleaned the cut Plumeria made against her neck.

"Indeed- despite your current state, your team managed to defeat hers. You're quite a splendid trainer," the visor blond agreed before noticing her amulet. "And a trial goer- that explains it. I am deeply impressed!"

Asalie didn't reply, her swollen cheek now covered by a path of bandages and too sore to reply- she didn't feel splendid in any way, shape or form, just incredibly angry. Just then, she noticed Olivia approaching them, frowning when she saw Asalie's condition. "What's all this now?"

"This girl was attacked a by a Team Skull thug- she ran away but we stayed behind to tend to her injuries, Kahuna Olivia," Daniel explained.

Olivia frowned deeply at this news. "We better get to the police station right away to report this."

"We shall submit the report, to make it easier for you, Kahuna," the visor blond offered smoothly.

"It is my duty to protect the people of Akala as well as it's trail-goers- but if you can offer testimony, then that would be a great help."

"But of course."

Olivia went to her side, gaze serious and concerned as she looked her over. "Can you stand?"

Asalie set her hand- trembling from adrenaline or late fear, she didn't know- against the kahuna's arm and attempted to pull herself up. Immediately, her head began swimming and her body screamed in protest and pain at the exertion. The kahuna let her lean against her before Kumonga suddenly lowered his body down- seeing what he was doing, Asalie climbed onto his back with Olivia's help and was held in place by his silk.

They left without another word and all Asalie could concentrate on now was the gap in her mouth from her missing tooth and wondering just what had saved her.

* * *

Bishop beat a Gyrados with a single thundershock attack while tanking a thrash attack- I'm so proud of them!

And if you have any critiques on the chapter, let me know.

Also in keeping with a tradition I started for my previous stories: for every hundredth reviewer, I will post a one shot of their choosing.


	19. Chapter 19

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Zygarde really got a bad deal in the games :( Hopefully there'll be a remake of Kalos- or a sequel. For all the flake it gets, I've always had a good time playing X/Y.

Gigarot: It's something I added in- also it said that their eyes glow red when their blood is boiling.

Plumeria wasn't messing around- and despite being very little threat, Team Skull isn't the type to play fair, even in the game. Their later interactions will be different from they interact in the games, animosity-wise.

* * *

Once they finished the report and Asalie- with paper and pen- Daniel, Moira and the lanky blond gave their testimony, they were allowed to leave the police station.

The lanky blond then turned to Asalie and gave her a card with gold outline with a phone number. "Once you finish your grand trial, just give me a call and I shall give you a suitable prize for your valor then. Come along then, Haines, Olson."

Daniel and Moira looked ready to protest but as the lanky blond's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, they both nodded with resignation. "Take care now, kiddo," the former said gently and Moira hugged her as quickly and gently she could before the three went on their way.

Asalie put the card into her bag carefully before she winced at the pain in the limb. Olivia helped her outside and back onto Kumonga before heading into Konokoni City.

* * *

The rest of the day consisted of her injuries being checked over- aside from resetting her broken nose, she had several bruises on her stomach, chest, legs, face and forehead and there was the gap in her teeth that her tongue wouldn't leave alone- given medication and treatment plans, and resting in the meantime.

"You are incredibly lucky- if she had been more forceful, you would have been dealing with sprains or even fractures," Nurse Joy informed her.

While there had been no broken bones, Asalie still couldn't walk from the pain in her legs and pain was sent through her whenever she opened her mouth too much. Her nose was almost in constant pain and she couldn't inhale through it without her face exploding in agony. She could barely speak and so resorted to writing and then eventually using Rotom-Dex for typing her replies.

Of course, neither Lillie nor Hau took the news well. The morning after, Hau had come down and Lillie had come into the center in time to see Asalie accepting her pain medication from the Nurse Joy.

Hau almost recoiled in shock at Asalie's condition and Lillie's face paled as her hand covered her mouth. "Asa, what the heck _happened to you?!"_

Asalie motioned them forward and had Rotom-Dex reply, **"Run-in with Skull."**

The blonde's eyes widened at this and Hau, for the first time in the brunette's memory, was at a loss for words. He looked torn between bewilderment, upset and anger. He opened his mouth to speak but then shut it again- then he tried again only to stop. Finally he exclaimed, "That's awful!"

The look Asalie gave him couldn't have been flatter.

Lillie trembled, her lower jaw quivering as she tried to hold back tears before her gaze became sharp and she asked, "Is there anything we can do at all to help you?"

This had surprised the brunette before she held up the list of what the doctor recommended. The blonde looked over the list and then took another piece of paper off the pad and asked, "What are your favorite soft foods/drinks?"

After writing down the list, Lillie took it and the one the doctor made before all but dragged Hau out the door. Roughly thirty minutes later, they returned with arrived a bag containing mint ice cream, chocolate/vanilla pudding, vanilla protein shake mix, cherry-flavored juice, chocolate milk, cans of mushroom soup and bananas.

Olivia came to check up on to see Lillie all but spoon-feeding Asalie the soup- and the brunette looked rather happy despite the circumstances- while Hau stood a ways away, looking rather lost and out of place until he noticed her.

"Kahuna Olivia!" he blurted in surprise.

She gave him a nod of acknowledgement before going over to Asalie and Lillie. "How are you doing?"

Asalie gestured to the entire scene and the kahuna couldn't help the smirk on her face. "Well, I'm glad you're doing better- it's always good to have friends around when you're in pain."

Her expression became more serious. "We've yet to track down Plumeria but we're keeping an eye out for her- while she didn't attack you with her team, assaulting a trainer for any reason is a serious crime. We've got officers on the lookout right now."

Asalie nodded to this, expression a serious frown. Olivia's expression became saddened as she said, "I'm so sorry that this happened- and that I wasn't able to do more."

The brunette's expression remained blank and she didn't bother to write anything down- the silence was enough. Lillie placed a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder while Hau was beginning to shuffle where he was, unsure of whether to leave or stay put. So when Olivia turned to him, he almost jumped out of his sandals.

He immediately turned to Asalie with an almost pleading expression, as if trying to ask for her permission for some reason. She blinked before rolling her eyes and shooing him off. He gave a quick thumbs up and turned back to Olivia and said, "Kahuna Olivia, my name is Hau of Iki Town."

Olivia turned to him with a small smile and incline of her head, prompting him to continue. "Can- er, _may_ I battle you please? I know I'm not as strong as my grandpa, but my team and I are still giving it our all!"

"So you're just Hau- but what's wrong with that? Who cares if you're Hala's grandson?" Olivia said before her smile spread into a grin. "I want to see what only Hau can do!"

The green-haired boy looked surprised at this before an even bigger smile came onto his face. "Okay!"

With that, the two of them headed outside of the Pokemon Center. "Good luck, Hau!" Lillie called after him and Asalie could only wave lamely.

Roughly an hour later, an exhausted but still grinning Hau came back, holding aloft a sparkling brown Rockium-Z and stamp of approval from the kahuna. Asalie couldn't even smile without her jaw and mouth erupting with agony- all she could do was give a thumbs up.

* * *

Two weeks passed since and Asalie was starting to get impatient and antsy. She was being kept in the city while Olivia and some volunteer trainers kept watch almost every single day.

Pell, Bishop, Ruby and Kumonga all stayed by her side- Olivia even moved them into the biggest room and took out the extra bed so the Araquanid could stay inside. She wondered how they felt about the situation- they had easily beaten Plumeria's team yet they hadn't been able to help her when the Fomantis had her at the admin's mercy.

But lack of training was starting to show and the brunette had been forbidden from exerting herself until she was properly healed- Hau had helped a lot in this case, bringing his team out to train with hers.

Pell was especially relieved at being able to train alongside Konane and the Brionne seemed to have made it his personal mission to help her and the team out. Bishop and Kumonga were both training especially hard, particularly to become faster and take damage better- they often trained alongside Akela and Liko in order to get faster. Ruby meanwhile trained alongside Pele, the two bonding surprisingly fast despite the fire puppy's disdain for the rock type in their previous encounter.

Of course, the biggest surprise would come from the fact that Asalie's injuries had begun healing ahead of schedule- her bruises were almost all gone, her shin's sprain was healed and her jaw and nose no longer caused her agony. But this had caused more concern than relief, as the doctors had to run diagnostics on how she was healing so fast.

Asalie was grateful for this but she found it hard to stay in an optimistic mood- but more than pain, more than apprehension of possibly running into her again, Asalie's emotion most connected to the fight with Plumeria and her current situation was _anger._

She had gone on this journey for herself and didn't have any intention of fighting anyone she didn't have to- Team Skull had been the ones who started the fights and she had been the one dragged in to stop them. Now she was stuck in the center, unable to speak or walk with out experiencing intense pain because Plumeria had held her responsible for stopping their bullshit shenanigans.

If it hadn't been for Team Skull, she'd be on her way to the next island, enjoying her journey on her own terms. With this knowledge, it made waiting for her injuries to heal and being confined to the Pokemon Center even more tedious.

After another two days of being checked over, Asalie had had enough.

* * *

The next morning, Asalie checked and double-checked to make sure no one would catch her. She took her team and began to sneak out towards Route 9-

"Asalie?"

The brunette froze at her name being said and turned to see Lillie behind her, expression gentle but cautious. Asalie forced her teeth not to grit together in frustration as the blonde went up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm glad to see you're... doing better," Lillie said with a gentle but cautious tone of voice.

Asalie gave a small nod to this before the blonde continued, "Kahuna Olivia said that she'd take me to see the Ruins of Life later today. If you'd like, you could come with-provided you don't push yourself too much..."

This was not the turn in conversation Asalie had been expecting, but she wasn't going to complain one bit- she nodded her head vigorously before Lillie added sheepishly, "Also, Kahuna Olivia isn't going to be ready to leave until ten and you've already gone down Route 9..."

Asalie just gave another vigorous nod before taking her hand and leading her down Route 9. Dark gray clouds were beginning to brew above but she barely noticed them as she brought her team out. She still couldn't speak without feeling pain in her jaw so she got out Rotom-Dex.

 **"I know it's been a while since we trained together, so I want to see you've all been doing with Hau,"** she typed in and Rotom-Dex recited aloud and the four Pokemon began to show their moves.

Bishop had become more nimble in the air, they could dodge and weave easily out of the way of the attacks thrown at them- Kumonga had grown more aware of his surrounding, being able to both dodge and use the terrain to his advantage- Pell's endurance in the sky and her new strength had especially become noticeable, able to fly and battle in the air- and Ruby's defenses had only grown stronger, to being take attacks from wild Pokemon before smashing them to the ground with ease.

 _Hau did a great job with everyone,_ Asalie thought with a small smile. Wonder if _I have enough to get him those big Malasadas?_

The morning wore on with training and while it went slower because of Asalie's injuries, the brunette was glad to be out like this. She never thought she'd miss being outside before but being cooped up like she had been in Konikoni City- while for her own good- had not been enjoyable.

 _There's something I never thought I'd think,_ she thought, lips twitching into a tiny smile as Pell dodged another rock slide from Ruby- before she felt a pebble hit her back.

 **"Grr-ruff!"** Ruby growled before pouncing on a small red Pokemon and pinning it to the ground with a bark while Lillie held her bag closer to her. "What on earth?" she wondered as Kumonga began to ready himself to attack with scald.

It was the Magby that had followed them from before- the only reason the brunette knew this was because of the audacious grin it was somehow holding. "You have got be kid-" Asalie began exasperatedly before a raindrop splattered on her nose.

A few more started to drop down against her shoulder and head and Asalie looked up to see the clouds had gathered threateningly above them, dark gray. The Magby's grin stretched, though this was more to being freaked out than anything as sweat began to slide down it's face.

"Let's find some shelter- quickly!" Lillie declared, hand coming down on her hat to keep it from blowing away while Rotom-Dex quickly went back into Asalie's bag and she zipped it up carefully before returning her team to their poke-balls.

The Magby from before was started to look scared even while it kept it's grin plastered on- a flicker of light inside the clouds and the low rumble of thunder made it yelp in surprise before covering it's tail and head, eyes squeezed shut tightly. Asalie's scowl softened before she approached the fire type and knelt before it- she took her bag and opened up the compartment for poke-balls before a black and blue capsule with yellow crescent moon dropped out. The Magby looked at the ball in surprise before reaching out and touching the button- it was sucked inside a moment later and the ball shook a few times before clicking.

"Asalie!" Lillie called to her as the rain became harsher. "I found shelter- hurry!"

Asalie picked the moon ball up and ran to the blonde where she was standing in front of a cave with stone archway and fuchsia coloring before following her inside. Though it was obvious soon that this was not an ordinary cave.

There was a long stone bridge across plots of grass and wildflowers- that also had some Victreebil and Shiinotic meandering underneath- and several large cubicle slabs of stones with intricate patterns, littered across said bridge. There was fuchsia outlining the walls in a zigzagging pattern.

 **"Pew-ew!"** Nebby trilled as they leaped out of Lillie's bag, looking around with excitement, even trying to pull the bag with Lillie along with them.

A moment later, the moon ball and nest ball burst open and the Magby bounced out- it looked immensely relieved not to be in the rain and it's eyes widened at the sight of the area before them before it noticed Ruby looming over it with a growl.

Asalie put a hand on Ruby's shoulder and shook her head, gesturing to the moon ball and Magby. The Lycanroc gave her an incredulous look before shrugging and giving the Magby a warning growl. The brunette typed in a few names and Rotom-Dex recited them to the Magby before it- or rather, she- looked the most pleased with "Ifrit".

 **"Wait, 'Ifrit' is a guy's name-"** she began to type to point out her mistake, but the Magby was already shaking her head, determined to have that name. Rotom-Dex sweat-dropped and said, **"Well, we can't say the name isn't complimentary..."**

"Here you are."

Asalie and Lillie turned to see Olivia come inside and folding up an umbrella- Ifrit and Ruby both looked intrigued while Lillie looked scared to be caught but the kahuna only wore a small relieved smile. "I was worried something might have happened to the two of you when I couldn't find you in the city- I'm just glad you're both okay."

"'srry," the brunette managed to mumble out and Olivia shook her head. "It's not me you have to apologize to- you gave Nurse Joy quite the fright when she found out you were missing."

This made her pale, wondering what awaited her at the center. "Well, we might as well get a move-on- welcome to the Ruins of Life," Olivia said, sweeping her arm up to gesture to the area before them.

After getting her page rider and typing a few buttons, a Machamp of all things showed up about ten minutes later- Ruby immediately held the Magby back from attacking it. "Could you please move those boulders?" the kahuna requested.

The fighting type nodded with a grunt before cracking it's knuckles- it went over to the first slab and in a display of sheer might, shoved it over- Ifrit gave an exclamation of amazement, eyes sparkling while Ruby's jaw dropped open at the display of power.

After a few yards, the stone suddenly fell through the bridge with a room-shaking thud and created a path through the bridge. After moving the other stones about, the Machamp had created a makeshift path across the bridge.

After navigating through it, they came to a room with a wooden dais and two staircases- upon the platform was a throne with wildflowers laced between the the vines and cracks. On the sides and back of the throne were carved drawings- the most prominent being of a stout woman with dress and triangular hat with a childish pout.

 **"Pew! Pew-ew!"** Nebby exclaimed, happily nuzzling the carvings, particularly the ones with the stout woman.

Ruby and Ifrit both froze as they entered the room, as though they had entered a den of Pyroar- Asalie could feel the pressure in the room as well. She knew there wasn't anyone other than the three humans and Pokemon in the room at the moment but she could tell that this was not a place they could tread lightly in.

"Who is that?" Lillie asked, gesturing to the carving of the stout woman.

"That is one of our recorded kahuna of Akala Island in ancient times, Kahuna Kalea," Olivia explained.

 **"Pew! Pew peeeww!"** Nebby continued to exclaim, appendages bouncing up and down between them and the carving of Kalea.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Lillie said gently, though this hardly deterred them. "I wish I knew why you were so excited- why this means so much to you..."

Asalie looked at Olivia for an explanation but she was already shaking her head. "I don't know the connection between these two or why this little one wanted to come to the ruins, I'm afraid," she said. Just then, the kahuna froze and shifted her stance- Lillie gripped her bag in worry while Asalie reached for her poke-balls.

"It sounds like the rain's starting to die down."

* * *

Indeed once they got outside, there was only a slight drizzle and the clouds were slowly but surely clearing up. Ifrit walked about cautiously as to avoid the wetter parts of the grass by hopping on the stones on the path.

"While I can't help you more than this information-wise, there are some texts that speak of a relationship between the Tapus and legendary Pokemon- you can find them in Malie City on Ula'Ula island," Olivia suggested.

"Thank you, Kahuna Olivia!"

The brunette nodded her thanks as well- this was on the next island so she could easily accompany Lillie there. Speaking of which, she remembered that she still had yet to do her grand trial- and the kahuna was right in front of her. She took her jacket off carefully before bringing Rotom-Dex under it- she typed in a few words and Rotom-Dex recited with trepidation, **"May I fight you for my grand trial, Kahuna Olivia?"**

"Asalie, you can't be serious!" Lillie exclaimed, half in concern, half in exasperation. "You're still not fully healed- you can't even speak properly yet!"

"I'd prefer if you'd wait until you're properly healed before having this fight- I wouldn't want to beat you just because you're not prepared," Olivia had said but Asalie shook her head and typed in, **"Please let me battle you,"** before Rotom-Dex said with concern, **"Toots, this isn't a good idea..."** but Asalie only got out some potions and full heals to set on the ground so she could hold them properly.

"Asalie, please don't do this! You're still so hurt!" Lillie exclaimed in worry before turning to Olivia. "Please, can't you wait for her?!"

Olivia viewed the brunette carefully before saying, "If you really want to fight like this, then I won't begrudge you. Let's go Heiki!"

She brought out a Nosepass onto the field and Asalie brought Kumonga out to the field. She quickly tapped the option for an attack and Rotom-Dex announced, **"Scald!"**

The water attack reached Heiki but it barely pushed the rock type back before it summoned a rock slide. Asalie felt her stomach drop as she remembered the Araquanid was a bug type and she was already typing in **"Dodge"** only for the attack to barely do any damage- Kumonga stared, confused and relieved at the same time.

That was when she saw the painful looking burn on Heiki's side, making the rock type wince in pain. She was already typing in scald only for Heiki to score a thunderwave on Kumonga, paralyzing him mid attack. She grabbed a full heal off the ground and quickly sprayed the damage off even as another rock slide hit him, though Kumonga barely noticed this thanks to the burn.

Regardless, she took no chances and healed Kumonga up. Olivia quickly healed the burn on Nakine before she brought down another rock slide, causing a critical hit. But at this point, Kumonga had already fired a scald at Heiki- the two attacks smashed into the other and though they struggled to stay on their feet, both Nosepass and Araquanid collapsed moments later. Ifrit looked surprised and almost disappointed at Kumonga's loss.

"Well done," Olivia said as she returned Heiki. "Nakine!"

Asalie returned Kumonga before she saw the Lycanroc- she couldn't help the smile on her face as she saw Nakineand Ruby's eyes widened at the sight of another Midnight Lycanroc. Nakine gave her a cheery wave and fanged grin and Ruby smiled despite herself. Ifrit was confused but shrugged and got back to watching the battle.

But as she tapped the option for **"Brick break!"** , Olivia crossed her arms then spread them out before flexing- then, she jumped into a genuflecting stance on the side while still flexing and Asalie shivered at the rush of adrenaline before she winced at her mouth automatically trying to grin, blood sliding down her nose.

 **"Continental Crush!"** she bellowed and then Nakine summoned a gigantic plot of rock to hurtle at Ruby, who was too shocked to dodge.

But as the dust cleared, Ruby was still standing- bruised and battered but still standing. Her mouth broke into an excited grin and she smashed down a brick break on the exhausted Nakine, knocking her out in one hit. Asalie didn't care how much it hurt, she grinned with pride and excitement at Ruby's victory before the Lycanroc collapsed onto the ground, panting harshly. Ifrit's mouth had dropped open from shock and she kept looking between the two trainers and their Lycanrocs.

Olivia laid a comforting hand on Nakine's shoulder before calling out, "Meka!" and bringing in a Boldore.

Asalie sent in Bishop as she pulled Ruby back, though she was concerned about how the electric/steel type seemed to be rattling. She got her answer after Bishop tried to fire off a mirror shot only for their form to start glowing pale blue with the light of evolution. However, Meka took this opportunity to use smack down and knocked them out of evolution before Olivia healed her up.

Bishop stared in disbelief before their body began shaking with rage. Then, they hurtled several magnet bombs at Meka with an aggression that Asalie had yet to see from the Magnemite. The attack knocked the Boldore back before she retaliated with several smack down attacks- the rocks and magnet bombs crashed into each other harshly, sending debris everywhere. Lillie yelped as she crouched down with her arms covering her head while Olivia didn't even bat an eye as a few smacked against her chest. Ifrit yelped and covered her head to stay clear of the rocks while Ruby pulled her back behind her with what little strength she had left.

Finally the Magnemite had had enough. **"BZZZ-RRTTT!"** they bellowed and let loose a mirror shot that suddenly gained a red hue and blasted out like a bazooka rather than several spheres.

This hit Meka dead center and sent the rock type backwards several feet- the Boldore tried to stay conscious but the damage was too much and Meka collapsed. Bishop shivered with exhilaration and rage alike and they nearly tried to attack again but Asalie returned them.

 **"Holy Gambles..."** Rotom Dex said, voice uncharacteristically low.

Olivia brought Meka back, expression devoid of emotion. "They say diamonds can only sparkle once pushed to it's absolute limit," she stated. "They also say that the only thing that separates heroes and fools are their successes."

She smiled lightly. "Despite your condition, you've shinned brilliantly- just try not to make a habit of fighting when you're injured."

Asalie nodded, her grin coming back on- she barely noticed any pain- before Olivia added, "And I expect you to rest after this until your injuries are healed properly."

"... y's, m'am," she managed to get out.

Olivia gave her a brown crystal with a stone insignia and stamped her trainer passport. "You have to move like this to draw out it's power! Watch carefully, the hip movement is important!"

With that, Olivia repeated the same moves she used before- Lillie looked amazed and Asalie felt blood seep down her from her nose that she prayed they would see as her nose injury affecting it.

* * *

The next few days passed much better than the past two weeks and two days had- with her win secured, Asalie could rest easily knowing that she had everything done on Akala island.

Lillie didn't scold her, though she had been expecting the blonde to do so. She was still upset that the brunette had risked herself in such a way and made sure that Asalie would get her rest and not leave until then.

"Please understand, I'm only worried about you," she had said, though she looked guilty saying this.

"I understand," Asalie had told her, as talking was becoming easier as well. "Thanks."

Once they were sure that the brunette's injuries had been healed, Asalie was allowed to be discharged from the Pokemon Center- even better, Olivia offered to treat them and Hau in celebration for her recovery and them both completing their grand trials.

They came back to the restaurant at around 5 PM and were seated before ordering- ten minutes later, their dishes arrived.

"Hoo-ee! This is amazing!" Hau cheered as he scarfed down the Surf Z-set. "I'm getting chicken skin just from tasting this stuff!"

"Is it that good?" Lillie asked.

"Yeah! The fish is super-filling but it tastes light as a cloud- and this soup, I just can't get enough of it!"

With that, Hau set his spoon aside to sip from the bowl itself. Lillie sweat-dropped and Asalie couldn't help snickering before asking, "How's yours, Lillie? It's only vegetables, right?"

The blonde nodded as she took another dainty mouthful, shivering at the deliciousness of her food. "It's amazing- this sweet sauce compliments the dish perfectly," she said with wide eyes. "And it's so filling!"

She looked almost scared to be eating something so good but she eventually started eating a little faster and taking larger mouthfuls. Asalie didn't notice this, as her own dish occupied most of her attention- after weeks of not being able to eat anything but soup, yogurt and protein shakes, she was ready for real substance.

The pasta was firm but svelte and the meat sauce complimented it perfectly. She was at first confused of the fried egg on the plate before Olivia broke the yoke open with her chopsticks and the runny yellow stuff mixed into the dish- another mouthful and Asalie could have sworn she had been knocked out of her chair at the new flavors exploding in her mouth.

The night wore on and they eventually returned to the center for some sleep- as Asalie looked at her team as they slept and at the card in her hand, she knew exactly what she was going to do next. But as she drifted off, Asalie's tongue searched for the gap in her teeth on impulse only to find another tooth had grown in it's place...

* * *

This chapter. DID NOT. WANT. TO BE. WRITTEN.


	20. Chapter 20

theonlyandonlylordmonkeyknight: .-.

Gigarot: For now at least ^^;

I got the idea from a really good nuzlocke comic for Yellow with a mute protagonist.

In-game, I held off on evolving Bishop so they could learn flash cannon- they'll evolve soon.

Lillie is wonderful :)

Lychee-ran: Indeed.

Aiko Isari: I've been enjoying writing Asalie- I tried to make a different kind of Pokemon protagonist and I'm happy with the result I've gotten thus far with her.

Ah, I see- a reviewer from before pointed this out. I know you know it's important but the characters don't know that yet ^^;

Thank you very much for the review!

QuoteMyFoot: Ah, I am aware of this- as I said before, a reviewer pointed this out before. Again, the Ultra Beasts will come into play but if I say any more about it, we would be entering spoiler territory. All I can say to you is to be a bit more patient with my story.

That being said- you are right about the summary. Which is why I've changed it and the genres so be less misleading.

Thank you very much for this review!

* * *

The Hano Grand Hotel was aptly named, the largest and most luxurious hotel in all of Alola. Asalie's eyes widened in amazement at the sheer luxury and decor surrounding them as they were brought inside.

Asalie had used the phone number that morning and got in touch with the lanky blond who asked to meet up with her- and a friend or two if she wished- at the hotel. Hau had been estatic at this but Lillie had turned down the invitation.

"I just want to study the ruins a little more..." she trailed off before exiting the room swiftly.

While Asalie had been disappointed, she knew that the blonde was determined and wouldn't stand in her way of finding how to get Nebby home.

Olivia offered to bring them over to the hotel, as she knew the way and knew the owner and his daughter- a golfer, apparently. Kukui also came along, as he had business at the hotel- what that business was Asalie could only guess at.

"Ah, it's been some time since I last saw you," the visor blond said with a smile before his eyes fell on Olivia. "Oh, even the Kahuna herself has come to see us off?"

"Of course," Olivia replied. "As Kahuna, I look after all the trial-goers on my island. They're like my own children- not that I ever had any."

Asalie smiled a little at that and Hau laughed before Olivia turned to them. "Now listen up you two- your greatest opponent is always yourself, your greatest allies the Pokemon beside you."

"Thank you!" they both said at once.

"Stay safe, you two," Olivia told them, expression gentler before leaving.

"All right then- oh hey, Kahili!"

He waved over to someone and Asalie turned to see a woman a severe expression in golfer's clothes with pale blue hair and lavender eyes with beauty mark under one of them turn his way- she came over to them and nodded to Kukui.

"Good to see you again, Kahili!" Kukui said with a grin. "Glad you could make it."

"Of course- our business is one that has been a long time coming," Kahili said, voice lower than Asalie thought it'd be before the professor turned back to them.

"All right, I'll see you next island, Ula'Ula- in fact, they'll be celebrating Tapu Bulu in two weeks, so try to come soon, okay?"

"Okay!" Hau chirped.

"No problem- we'll see you then," Asalie agreed.

With that, professor and golfer left and the man cleared his throat and said, "Allow me to introduce myself- I am Branch Chief Faba of Aether Foundation."

He addressed the brunette, "It's good to see your injuries have healed somewhat- and I trust you'll still try to finish your island trial?"

She nodded, expression serious. Faba smiled and clapped his hands lightly. "I applaud your tenacity- I was right to bestow this honor to you. That being, a tour of Aether Paradise Headquarters!"

"Seriously?!" Hau exclaimed and Asalie's eyes widened with surprise and excitement.

Ashwin had been working for a branch in Kanto where they helped look after abused or endangered Pokemon but Alola was where the main HQ, an artificial island, was located- to be placed to work there was basically the highest promotion one could get working for Aether. The reason that she and Astin had yet to see the island was because tours there cost more than what Ashwin earned in an entire year.

"Whoo, thanks a lot!" Hau exclaimed happily.

"Then, let us embark on the grand vessel that will take us to our even grander headquarters! By which, I mean the ferry."

They went to the docks by the Grand Hotel and found a much sturdier and bigger ship waiting for them. They boarded and were soon off. The ride to Aether was a little better on Asalie's stomach, though this had more to do with the fact that the vessel was an actual ship and not a sailboat.

"Can you believe that a big hunk of iron can just float in the sea?" Hau asked her.

"Well yeah- it's thanks to technology and Pokemon, and my dad does work there now," Asalie replied.

"Awww, finally thought I had one up on you," the green-haired boy said with a deadpan smile before shrugging. "Either way, I can't wait to see the inside of Aether Paradise for myself."

"Me either."

 _I might even get to see dad there- shit, I never told him about my fight, did I?_ she realized before her tongue came back to where the gap used to be.

* * *

After around half an hour, they made it to Aether Paradise and Asalie's breath was stolen away.

Ashwin had described his new work place but none of his descriptions could match the _sheer mass_ of the artificial island before them. They went through a tunnel before docking inside alongside several other boats- there were several crates by the docks that were being unloaded or boxed up to ship out. A triangular elevator was a ways away from them.

"Welcome to Aether Paradise," Faba said with a smirk as he gestured to the area surrounding them. "This facility was created for the conservation of Pokemon, outfitted with all the latest technology for this purpose- we already have branches in the Kanto and Johto regions.

"WHOA!" Hau exclaimed, eyes sparkling.

He turned to them and added, "I should say this right now, but you will not be able to use your poke-balls within Aether Paradise, since a jamming frequency is in place to prevent them from functioning."

Just then, the elevator came down again and Asalie saw a bespectacled stout but curvy woman with wavy/poofy mauve hair and something that looked like only a middle-aged mom would wear. "Please excuse me, Mr. Faba-" the woman began, voice polite and gentle.

"Yes, excuse you!" Faba agreed rather curtly. "What's the meaning of that form of address? My title is 'Branch Chief' and I expect it to be used! Otherwise no one will know how important I am!"

"Of course- my humblest apologies, Branch Chief Faba," the woman mumbled before bowing.

Faba rolled his eyes before turning to the two. "I will be on the next level- she will continue your tour."

With that, he boarded the elevator and moved on up. "Phew..." the woman said before turning to them and bowing again. "Welcome to Aether Paradise, Mr. Hau, Miss Asalie- I'm the assistant branch chief, Wicke."

 _"Alola!"_ Hau chirped.

"Nice to meet you," Asalie said, the woman's kind personality quickly endearing her to the brunette before she realized-

"Wait, how'd you know who we are?!" the green-haired boy exclaimed, startled.

"Ah- two of our employees have been talking to one of our conservation agents about meeting the two of you," Wicke explained. "Again, thank you both for helping them out."

With that, she took them up to the main level, where there was a receptionist's desk, several hallways and doors. "This is the main entrance- you can also heal your Pokemon up at the receptionist's desk if need be. On that note, might I ask how old you two are?"

"Huh-? Oh, I'm turning fifteen in a few days!"

"I turned fifteen in May. Why do you ask?"

"Because the age one can take part in the trials is eleven, is it not?"

"Wait, you can take it as early as that?" Asalie asked in surprise- even in Kanto, you couldn't become a trainer until you were at least thirteen, though there had been a time when trainers could be as young as ten.

"Yeah- I started a little later 'cause I wanted to be ready, so that someday I can beat _tutu_..."

Wicke nodded to this. "It's wonderful to have a goal in mind- I wish you the best of luck, Mr. Hau. I suppose all children must go their separate ways from their parents eventually..."

Asalie looked at the woman as she trailed off, expression wistful. But Wicke quickly added with a laugh, "Though I can hardly call either of you children- you're both fully-fledged trainers now!"

 _?_

* * *

With that, they went up and came to a room with a sky roof with sunlight streaming down. Several areas with different vegetation, water and even snow and ice in some areas where Pokemon rested and employees looked over them. The layout reminded Asalie of a maze and she saw water below them and under each bridge and area.

"Wow!" Hau exclaimed in amazement at the sight.

"Aether Paradise is a safe haven for all Pokemon- for this reason, the use of poke-balls is strictly forbidden within the conservation area," she reminded them. "We don't just keep Pokemon who have been targeted by Team Skull, but by any poachers or criminal elements, as well as provide support to Pokemon who need a little extra protection."

"Such as?" Asalie asked.

"Well, Corsola for one- in Alola, they're terribly hunted by a Pokemon called Toxapex- in fact, I'll update your pokedex if you don't mind."

Rotom-Dex came out and whistled when they saw Wicke before she put in the entry. **"Toxapex, the Brutal Star Pokemon. Toxapex crawls along the ocean floor on it's twelve legs. It leaves a trail of Corsola bits scattered in it's wake,"** they recited.

 _Well, that's... a lot darker than I expected._

 _"Tutu's_ always said that nature's as cruel as it's beautiful," Hau said, expression contemplative before asking, "But can the Aether Foundation really protect all the Pokemon that's out there?"

"Nature has it's own balance and it can be difficult to judge how much we humans should try to affect it," Wicke replied, "but I like to think that we're doing is ultimately beneficial to them."

Asalie nodded faintly to this before she noticed Ashwin not too far away from them- Wicke noticed as well and called out in a gentle voice, "Excuse me- Agent Nalani? You have a visitor."

Ashwin looked up from his work and his eyes widened as he saw his daughter. _"Star!"_ Ashwin exclaimed in surprise before running over to her and scooping her into his arms and right off the ground.

"Dad!" Asalie squealed/protested before he hugged her to him so tightly, her breath was nearly knocked out of her and she winced from the pressure put on.

"Have you seen Astin?!" he asked, expression worried. "Has he contacted you?!"

"Astin-? No, I've been on Akala for the past month and I haven't heard anything from him..."

Ashwin's expression became clouded with fear and Asalie felt a pit of dread swirl in her stomach. "What- what happened? Where is he?"

"Kekoa called me- he said that when he and Astin were eating out, there was a commotion outside," Ashwin said, voice hoarse and subdued. "He went outside- and disappeared. He's been looking for him ever since."

The brunette felt sick and she held onto her father tightly to keep herself steady. _Astin's strong- he's got his team, he's been a trainer before,_ she kept repeating inside her head, though this did little to calm her down.

"We've got police looking out for him in the meantime- Kekoa's searching too," Ashwin told her. "They're going to find him."

Asalie nodded, not trusting herself to speak- Astin had been gone before and he had gotten into fights but he had always been okay, always returned eventually. It wasn't like- _it wasn't-_

"If you want to go home for now, there's no shame in that."

"I- I want to keep going, dad," Asalie told him. "I've got too much going on to stop now..."

Ashwin looked torn between anger, worry and sadness before hugging her once more. "Just be careful."

She nodded one more time before he withdrew, tongue flitting at the new tooth. _It's not like telling him when I'm not hurt anymore would do anything good for either of us..._

"So, any questions you've got?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Um I have one. Mr. Asalie's dad," Hau spoke up. "Why is the main branch in Alola? 'Cause Unova's the region with the most groups for protecting Pokemon right now!"

"I can't say," Ashwin said with a shrug. "It's hard to tell what goes on in Madame President's mind."

Wicke's glasses shifted so they reflected the noontime sun off them, lips turned down. For the next ten minutes, Ashwin and Wicke showed them around the area and the different Pokemon they were protecting. The Pokemon there weren't just endangered or often picked off from being low on the food chain, there were Pokemon who's health was declining because of disease, Pokemon who had to have limbs amputated and Pokemon who were born with rare genetic anomalies.

As she looked over at one of the areas with an albino Mankey, the brunette suddenly smelled something sweet and soft- it made her feel so warm, she followed the scent until she saw a large amount of blonde hair that looked like a ton of hair spray went into keeping it's shape. She went closer to the source and saw the outline of a blonde woman gently kneeling before a different colored Staryu, an ill-looking Grimer and a Meowth with amputated tail and gently murmuring to them to calm them down. She noticed Asalie and the blonde nodded to the employee by her and they quickly escorted the Pokemon away and she stood up, well over a head over the brunette.

Asalie felt everything disappear save for her, eyes wide in awe at the sheer beauty of the woman and those brilliant peridot eyes. The scent was even more present but not stronger and she couldn't stop staring at the woman. She barely even noticed Hau and Wicke coming over or that her father wasn't with them.

"You two must be Asalie and Hau- I am the president of the foundation, but please just call me Lusamine. Welcome to Aether Paradise's main headquarters," the blonde said, smiling. "I'm so glad we got to meet."

Even her voice was gorgeous, smooth and calm but dripping with a gentleness and reassurance that made Asalie feel warm as she nodded- the worry she felt for Astin hadn't diminished but it felt so insignificant when she was before this woman.

"Seeing trainers like you traveling brings me great joy- but those wretched who harm Pokemon for their own gain brings me great sorrow," Lusamine went on before spreading her arms. "That is why I am here- I will be like a mother to all those poor, unfortunate Pokemon, even those beyond Alola, and shower them with my love."

* * *

 _"I'm gonna make sure those Pokemon'll be surrounded by love after what they went through, count on it!"_

* * *

"Wow, Miss Lusamine- I don't know how you do it!" Hau remarked. "I mean, you don't look that much older than us!"

"Oh, you sweet boy- I'm already over forty!" Lusamine chuckled.

Hau and Asalie both laughed with her until Lusamine stopped, beautiful smile still in place. Their chuckles became weaker until they died down completely and Hau recoiled while Asalie's jaw dropped open. _"Wait WHAT?!"_ they both exclaimed.

Lusamine chuckled again, "Yes, it's a wonder what the right style can do for one these days."

"No kidding- you don't look a day over twenty!" Asalie couldn't help blurting out before cutting herself off and inwardly berating herself for saying that aloud.

The blonde's smile never wavered and she put a delicate hand on her shoulder. "You're too kind, Asalie," she said kindly and the brunette felt herself go lax from the smell and beautiful voice.

"But I find both of your styles are a bit wanting, hm?" she mused almost playfully. "I'll have to take you both out sometime and help pick up a smashing outfit- you in particular Asalie. I've got some lovely dresses that would complement you wonderfully."

Asalie blushed at this before mumbling, "I haven't worn a dress in years..."

Lusamine looked personally offended at this before stating, "Well, this won't do at all! Once I get the time off, I simply must remedy this- for both of your sakes."

Asalie found herself nodding to this while Hau sweat-dropped and said apologetically, "Thanks, but I don't think I could pull off what you're wearing- well, maybe Lillie could, I dunno..."

Lusamine's hand tightened around the brunette's shoulder. "Oh don't you worry. You just leave everything to me," she said, voice a little strained. "Children would be much happier if they'd only listen to the adults around them- don't you agree, Asalie?"

 _If adults were like her, then I'd listen,_ the thought was already in her head before Asalie realized it and she nodded again.

"Hey Asa, you okay there?" Hau asked before noticing Lusamine's hand- it was starting to dig into Asalie's jacket and shoulder rather painfully. "Miss Lusamine, your hand-! Miss Lusamine, _you're hurting her!"_

The blonde cocked her head, expression never changing before she noticed. "Ah," she remarked before removing it.

Just then, the ground around them shook, making them stumble before grasping the railings. Asalie was knocked forward and clinging to Lusamine's arm in an attempt to steady herself.

"That tremor-!" Wicke gasped. "Did something happen on the lower floors?"

Suddenly, Asalie got the same feeling she had when she saw the crack in the sky before she heard several screams ahead. "Come on!" Hau exclaimed, already running towards the commotion.

They went over to see part of the conservatory area had been destroyed with several employees unconscious and/or injured, including Ashwin.

"Dad!" Asalie cried out, about to run to him when Lusamine's hand had a vicegrip on her arm. "Let go-" she began before she saw Lusamine staring at something with wide eyes.

She followed the blonde's gaze to where the air had shimmered like before, only this time it was like a hole breaching inwards away from them- in front of the hole was a pale blue and white jellyfish like creature that swayed about- it reminded Asalie of Lillie.

 _ **Brr-rrr-rrr...**_

"Miss Lusamine, stand back!" Hau shouted, quickly running between them and the creature. "That thing- _it's not right!"_

 _"You poor thing..."_

"Asalie, can you distract that thing?!" Hau shouted. "We'll get Miss Lusamine, your dad and these guys out of the way!"

The green-haired boy's voice brought Asalie back to her senses and she gently removed Lusamine's hand from her arm and brought her team out. At the same time, the creature gave another _**Brr-rrr-rrr!**_ before it became surrounded in brilliant red light.

The adrenaline from when she faced the totems and witnessed Z-Moves was nothing compared to this and Asalie found herself grinning so hard, her teeth and jaw hurt. "Pell, razor leaf!"

The Dartix obeyed and sent the attack but it didn't seem to faze the creature. Suddenly, an attack resembling venoshock came out and knocked Pell backwards and unconscious, smashing her into the floor hard enough to leave an imprint.

Taking no more chances, Asalie brought her entire team out as she returned Pell. "Bishop, Ruby, Kumonga, Ifrit! Use flash cannon, rock tomb, scald and flame burst!"

The attacks came out but the creature either batted aside the attacks with it's tentacles or dodged them all together. Suddenly, it appeared in front of Asalie and two tentacles grabbed her arms before wrenching them to the side, making her cry out in pain. One of the middle tentacles on it's head reached out to her head-

* * *

Asalie blinked as she stood before a disappearing wormhole, the creature no where in sight. _Wait- what?!_

Her thought was cut off by something in her mouth and she spat it out- her expression became further bewildered as she saw a bit of saliva-covered tentacle in her palm.

There were no thoughts that could convey the sheer incredulity Asalie was now feeling. "What the fuck?!" came closest though.

 **"Bzz-rrt!"**

She turned around and her eyes widened in surprise as the Magnemite- now Magneton- hovered over to her, the only one of her team still conscious thanks to their sturdy ability. She approached them carefully, mindful of the injuries they sustained.

"This has been a long time coming- I'm proud of you," she told them with a smile.

 **"Bzz..."**

"Asa- hey, Asa!"

She turned around to see Hau running to her, Lusamine following at a more sedate pace. "Whoa, Bishop evolved! Does that mean you were able to beat it?!"

"Um... I did _something,"_ she admitted, picking up the tentacle and showing them that along with the bit.

"Was that- part of whatever that thing was?" Hau asked weakly, looking green.

Lusamine immediately took it from her palm. "Astounding..." she said softly.

"Well, it's gone now- so I guess we won!" Hau said with relief, face still tinged green. "The employees were knocked back by the tremor but they're doing okay now- your dad's okay, Asa."

Asalie slumped with relief at this news- she didn't know what she'd do if she lost Ashwin. "Thank you both so much for your help!" Lusamine said, smile warm with relief before turning to Wicke. "These two are still on their Island Challenge, aren't they? Please escort them to Ula'Ula island."

"O-of course, ma'am!"

"I will check to see if any of the resident Pokemon came to harm, as well as confirm with Faba about what exactly happened downstairs," the blonde said before ending with, "And I will have to start preparing the foundation for our newest and perhaps greatest duty: the protection of the Ultra Beasts!"

"With how strong that thing was, I doubt it needs protection!" Hau remarked with a nervous smile while Asalie looked over where the other employees were.

"Dad!" she shouted as she saw Ashwin with the other employees and she returned her team to their poke-balls before running to his side to embrace him.

She never saw the smile, no longer warm and gentle, but hungry and covetous, spread across Lusamine's face as her hand curled around the tentacle bit.

* * *

Well- this happened.

On that note- oneandonlylordmonkeyknight, you have my permission to use Asalie in A Second Chance under the guidelines you need. Thank you for your support and for bouncing my ideas back to me.


	21. Chapter 21

theonlyandonlylordmonkeylord: I garner that that was probably everyone's reaction.

Gigarot: Considering their levels post-game, the UBs would catch any trainer unaware.

Cottonmouth25: Indeed- the villains you don't see coming are the ones that are the most terrifying. (Looks at Aizen)

* * *

"I still can't believe we saw a wormhole! We gotta tell Professor Burnet about this next time we see her!" Hau exclaimed.

They were back in the landing docks as the ship prepared to leave along with other trainers who had visited- Ashwin and the other employees were all right, they had mostly just been shocked by the tremor and then knocked back by the wormhole's emergence. Asalie stayed by his side until she was convinced he was okay before hugging him good-bye.

"Please be careful," he had pleaded with her, voice smaller and more scared than she remembered him sounding.

Asalie could do nothing but promise to be cautious, though she didn't know how well she could keep such a promise with Team Skull and those creatures running around. Regardless, she would do her best to follow her father's wishes.

"I don't know if what happened should rightly be described as an accident," Wicke said, "but I think it's probably best if you do so. Oh, these are for you."

She handed them each a box of big malasadas and a tm for psychic. "Whoa, thanks!" they both said in amazement at the gifts.

"I hope you both have wondrous adventures on your island challenge- best wishes to you both!" Wicke called as the boat departed.

"We will!" Hau called back. "Thanks, Ms. Wicke!"

"Take care of dad for me!" Asalie shouted back to her.

They boarded the ship and collapsed into the chairs as the ship began to take off.

"My heart's still racing. The wormhole and the Ultra Beasts were both real, Asa- and you fought it!" Hau said as he stretched himself out. "This world is way too big- I hope we can find even more next island!"

Asalie nodded absently, still thinking of what happened. She didn't know what to make of it, especially how she had blacked out those few seconds- what had happened in that time? And how did that bit of tentacle get in her mouth when her Pokemon had been knocked too far away to do any damage?

 _And if I come across it again, how am I gonna fight that thing without being clobbered?_

Her eyes averted to the compartment where she put the Z-Crystals and then looked at her Z-Ring. _I don't think I've even used a Z-Move yet-_

"Hey Asa!" Hau exclaimed, slapping her on the back and startling her out of her thoughts. "We're gonna need all the energy we can get- let's dig in!"

* * *

"Land ahoy!" Hau chirped as they got off, the night slowly encompassing the sky. _"Terra firma_ under foot again!"

"You know Latin?"

"What can I say? I'm a man of many talents!"

They both chuckled at this as they went into the city. Beautiful buildings similar to Konikoni city were everywhere she looked- there were also a a few decorations put up and an energy in the air not dissimilar to before an event or festival.

 **"You've made it to Ula'ula Island, clever girl!"** Rotom-Dex congratulated her. **"This means a whole new pokedex! It's all up to you what new Pokemon you'll discover, Asalie!"**

"Thank you," she said and they returned to her bag.

"Man, Ula'Ula island looks really different from Melemele and Akala- even Konikoni City didn't look like this!" Hau said before turning to Asalie. "Hey Asa- how about after we get to a center, we have a battle?"

"If you're talking about a battle, you could register in the tournament!" an old man remarked from the side.

"'Tournament'?" Asalie repeated, remembering the one tournament she had partaken in since her journey began.

"Yep- during the celebration for Tapu Bulu next week, there will be a fighting competition to appease them properly," he continued. "You can register by the garden."

"Wow- thanks mister!" Hau exclaimed. "Let's go, Asa!"

The two went over to where a young woman held registrations- already several trainers were lined up and they were barely able to get their names down before the night began to grow late. "Phew, I'm beat!" the green-haired boy yawned. "Let's get some shut eye..."

As they went into the center, Asalie couldn't wait to snuggle into the center bed and sleep off the day. But when she opened her bag to change into her pajamas, she found that most of the clothing she had accumulated over the course of her journey had gone missing.

Asalie ended up dumping everything out of her bag only to find that the only garments she had left were bras and underwear, her sleep shirt and shorts, a beige tanktop and black and magenta shorts. _Where the hell did they all go?! Did someone go through my bag while I wasn't looking?!_ she wondered, thinking back to the previous day.

 _The only time I didn't have my bag- was when I was at Aether Paradise,_ she realized. _But that was because of security and Hau went through that too. It's too late to ask him now- I have to wait for tomorrow..._

* * *

When Asalie got up the next morning, she went to try and find Hau only for the Nurse Joy to inform him that he had already left.

Knowing Hau's training habits, Asalie set out the explore the city in order to wait for him- while not as large as Heahea or Hau'oli city, it was still impressive in scale and architecture. She noticed shape patterns on the ground that went in different directions through the streets. Two different paths got her to a large restaurant-making her curse her low funds- and brought her to a barber shop.

She fingered the braid hanging loosely from her shoulder before remembering the pressure around her head when Plumeria's fingers clutched it in place. Her hand froze and trailed down until the digits reached the end of the hair.

"Asalie!"

The brunette perked up at Lillie's voice and turned to see the blonde run up to her- she was holding an apparel bag between her other bag. "Hey Lillie- what's that?"

"I was heading to Malie Library but found the apparel shop instead and the cashier got me to buy what they had on sale," the blonde explained with a sweat-drop.

"Oh, they've got discounts? I can check it out later then!"

"What are you looking for?"

"Anything really," the brunette admitted before lowering her voice. "I misplaced some clothes yesterday- I think Aether's security messed up-"

The blonde paled at this information, eyes wide with fear and Asalie placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Lillie- things like this happen, you know?"

Lillie didn't look convinced but seemed desperate to change the subject as she said, "W-well, the lady there also gave me directions to the Malie library- I want to find the ruins of this island as soon as possible, so I'll be going to do some researching on them."

"Mind if I come with?"

"N-not at all!"

The two headed over to the library- a large building that seemed to be going under some renovations. But as they made it to the entrance, Asalie heard a **"Ni-hiiiii!"** as a familiar Mudsale galloped towards them.

 _"Yeek?!"_ Lillie exclaimed, quickly hiding behind Asalie.

Hapu jumped off the ground type's back and smiled faintly at seeing the brunette. "Been a while, hasn't it Asalie."

"Hey Hapu!" the brunette greeted her.

"It seems your island challenge is coming along favorably- this must be pleasing to the Tapu," Hapu said before noticing Lillie. "And who might your lovely friend be?"

 _"Lovely"?_ Asalie thought, blinking in surprise at the word choice before the blonde quickly said, "My name is Lillie- it's nice to meet you, Hapu."

"Charmed," Hapu said with a smile. "My apologies if Mudsale startled you- though I notice you don't have the island challenge amulet anywhere on you."

"I'm here to study the various ruins the Tapus inhabit," Lillie explained before hastily adding, "for various reasons of my own."

Hapu gave a warm smile. "Well, that's some fine initiative- I'd be happy to escort you to the ruins whenever you'd like to go. Mudsale here's as sturdy as all get-out and she can easily carry two."

"Thank you for the offer!" Lillie exclaimed. "But don't either of you have anywhere you need to be...?"

"We travel at our own pace, the two of us- and we're going to be in the city for the festival anyways. Oh, before I forget- Asalie, might I see your pager for a moment?"

The brunette handed it over and the smaller girl quickly typed a bit before handing it back- now Asalie could see an option for Mudsale as well. "You can use Mudsale to ride over the rock terrain- consider it my payback for Akala island."

"Thank you."

"One of the next trials is straight past Tapu Village, you'd be hard pressed to miss it- good luck, I'll be cheering for you!"

With that, Hapu hopped onto Mudsale's back and galloped away. They entered the library quickly- there were staircases heading to the next level, bits of dust floating in the air visible by the rays of light through the windows.

"The book I'm looking for is quite old- Professor Burnet told me about it," Lillie whispered as they looked around. "It has a theory that suggests that the Legendary Pokemon came from another world."

Asalie was intrigued at that- her encounter with the Ultra Beast at Aether Paradise was as fresh in her mind as it had been that day and she wondered if the two were connected.

"Is this what you're looking for, princess and knight?"

A little girl with wavy and curly purple hair with a clip holding some of the locks in a tail, a torn black, indigo and purple dress, gold band around her left arm and sandals with cat-like smile on her face, held up a light green hardcover book titled, The Light of Alola.

"Oh yes!" Lillie said in surprise. "Thank you, um..."

"Acerola, at your service~" the girl chirped while giving a curtsy. "Now why don'tcha give it a read?"

Lillie and Asalie sat at the table, Acerola perching herself atop while the blonde opened the book up.

The first was a picture of the wormhole that she had seen back at Aether with a silhouette before it- one that reminded her of a Pyroar or Luxray and Lillie began to read softly,

"The empty sky broke asunder, a hole appearing where none had been. A creature appeared from it and the people called them the beast that devours the sun."

Four silhouettes- one yellow and lanky, one pink and stout, one red and muscled and one purple and svelte- all bowed before the Pyroar/Luxray shadow with a sun above it's form.

"The kings of Alola bowed before them, the beast who shone with all the brilliant splendor of the sun."

The next picture had four figures and one whom Asalie immediately recognized as Tapu Koko- she could only assume two others were Tapu Lele and Tapu Bulu. The one next to them had the beast standing triumphantly over their beaten forms.

"But the island guardians fought against them- and though they fought valiantly, they were no match for the creature."

The Pyroar/Luxray creature was shown curled around the sun with their mouths open, as if ready to devour it. Four of the five figures- yellow, pink, red and purple- bowed to them.

"Then did the beast that devoured the sun shine their light on the line of kings and won the right to bless all things with nature's gift."

A new creature's silhouette- that looked like a Noivern- appeared and between the two creatures, was what appeared to be a fetus floating above the islands. The yellow and purple silhouettes of the rulers held an orange and indigo flute respectively as swirls of music were illustrated.

"Beast of sun and beast of moon- through their union, they brought new life- a fragile heir in Alola born that island guardians would keep from strife. The ancient kings sang their thanks to Solgaleo with songs of flute- two tones ran out across the altar, a perfect pair even after mute."

Silence reigned after Lillie finished reading, solemn- Asalie's mind was racing as she digested this, particularly the part where it said the sky broke apart and a hole appeared where there had been none.

"So, what does this mean?" she asked.

"It means that many years ago, a powerful Pokemon- either Solgaleo or Lunala or both- came to Alola through unknown means, fought the Tapus and emerged victorious and then left something special behind before being played music for," Acelora summed up. "There are other books that claim that the creature who stole all heaven's light, Lunala, was the one who appeared before the kings and Tapus and still another version where an unknown creature appeared."

"So, what is the truth then?" Lillie asked, looking worried.

"No one knows- it could be one version, it could be a combination of two or more versions or it could be something else entirely," the purple-haired girl said. "All we know is what's been written down here. Of course the library has the other versions if you'd like to read them."

"That would be great! Thank you so much!"

"No problem!"

With that, Acerola hopped up on the stepladder for the taller shelves and in a display of balance and precision, she rolled it over and climbed up to pluck three books from the higher shelves before sliding back down to ground level. "Ta-dah!"

"How do you have these books?" the brunette asked as she accepted the heavy tomes and set them on the table for Lillie to look over.

"These all belonged to my dad at a time," the girl affirmed. "I know I don't look it but my family used to practically be royalty at a time and my dad used a lot of his time to get all these books! I just moved them to the library so they wouldn't collect dust."

She turned to Lillie and asked, "So what exactly are you researching?"

"I'm trying to find information on the ruins connected with the Tapus for reasons of my own-"

"Then you'll like this book for sure!" Acerola declared and pulled out a dark red leather bound book titled: "The Golden Age, the Alolan War and The Kings of Both Eras."

Opening it up made dust flap into her face and she wiped it away carefully- she could feel the age of the parchment underneath- and began reading.

"Alola had many leaders of their islands- strong, wise, kind, just. But the golden age of the islands started when these four Kahunas took the helms of their islands. Their rule would also consequently lead to the Alolan wars."

There were four people on the picture- the first was a dark skinned lanky man with orange Mohawk and sideburns with orange baggy pants, masses of white tattoos across his bare chest amidst battle scars and a yellow cloak. His expression was split in a toothy and ferocious grin- he had a Vikivolt by his side.

"Kahuna Konani ruled over Melemele island and was in equal bouts passionate and reckless- he was a powerful fighter with a nigh legendary bloodlust and watched over his soldiers like they were his own sons and daughters."

The next was a dark skinned stout woman with curly watermelon red hair and a pink triangular crown, a white tube top around her breasts, twin bracelets and pink skirt. Her expression was a childish pout- she had a P'au Oricorio by her side. Asalie recognized her from the carvings on the throne in the Ruins of Life.

"Kahuna Kalea was childish and rather vindictive- however, her abilities in healing and caring for the sick endeared her to her people, as she saved them from a plague that would have killed thousands."

The third was a dark skinned muscle-bound man with curly red hair and beard and a nose ring- his chest was bare as well with baggy red shorts with two hammers hanging from his belt. He looked rather bored- he had a Lurantis by his side.

"Kahuna Keanu was patient and stoic, though this was more due to his procrastinating and lazy nature than anything- but he was a skilled farmer and caretaker of animals and Pokemon and taught his people new ways to harvest food and care for livestock, saving them from starvation."

The fourth was a dark skinned svelte woman with pale blue tied in a downwards ponytail, though it was hard to tell with the violet veil she wore over herself. She had a worried frown on her face- she had a Toxapex by her side.

"Kahuna Kai was quiet and rather withdrawn, almost shy- but her sharp eyes allowed her to see uncleanliness and poison in the rivers and helped lead her people to a new water source while finding a way to purify the previous source."

The next picture showed the four of them watching over each of their islands, framed in yellow, pink, red and purple.

"Under these four leaders, Alola entered a golden age beneath their rule- they were called "The Kings of Alola". But alas, nothing can last forever."

Asalie saw the same picture of the wormhole in the book- unlike the Pryroar or Noivern silhouettes, this creature was a jet black and jagged looking figure with red and yellow eyes that was surrounded by light.

"A creature of jet black crystal appeared one day- seeing it as a threat, the Kahunas took their armies to destroy this creature. Though they fought their hardest, the Kahunas and their armies were soundly defeated, but thanks to the Tapus who appeared- Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini- they were given a fighting chance."

The next picture showed the four guardian deities fighting fiercely against the creature.

"Both sides fought with all their strength but neither could be beaten down for long- eventually, the two sides saw that they were of equal power and came to a truce. In acknowledging the Tapus strength and perhaps even an apology, the creature gifted the Tapu with great power of unknown providence."

The creature bowed to the four Tapus and they glowed with brilliant purple light that reminded Asalie of Nebby's glow when they had saved her. The next picture showed that they had strange, crafted shields somewhere on their bodies. Tapu Koko's was on either arm like a bird's wings, Tapu Lele's was on the lower body that looked like a snail's shell, Tapu Bulu's was on top of the head with horns like a bull and Tapu Fini's was on the back that was reminiscent of a narwhal.

"The special shells that they were given enabled them to absorb nature's energy and become stronger- the shells themselves would only grow stronger as time passed on."

The creature was shown flying, though it's direction was colored black on the page.

"With that, the creature disappeared- whether it returned from whence it came or retreated to hide on the planet remains unknown. Alola rebuilt themselves after the war but without their beloved kahunas, they quickly fell into disarray- those power hungry bullied those weaker into serving them and took advantage of the chaos to try to come into power."

Silhouettes of men and woman with arrogant, sneering smiles loomed over the islands and the crying people.

"Civil war broke out on the islands- the Tapus sided with those they saw as having the best intentions for the islands and aided them in the battles following the next several years until the next four kahunas were able to rebuilt Alola properly. However-"

The Tapus were sided with four other silhouettes that were yellow, pink, red and purple but the colors were more distorted than the first four kahunas- and behind them was carnage.

"- the Tapu's Z-Power was so great, they leveled entire battlefields and villages in the wake of their attacks. It was because of this that the Tapu hid away and no longer came to aid the wars of man."

The Tapus were shown hidden away in four caves above a shimmering stone that Asalie recognized immediately as the stone Tapu Koko had given her.

"Incredible..." Lillie said softly.

"Right?" Acerola said with a grin. "These two stories were my favorite reading when I was younger!"

Asalie didn't listen, eyes fixed on the stone and the image of Kahuna Konani- he looked familiar to her, though she knew that she'd remember meeting a man like him. It was the gauntlets on his arms that grabbed her attention, looking almost like the two shields/shells that Tapu Koko wielded.

* * *

The dates of the celebrations for each island are thus:

Tapu Lele and Tapu Bulu are celebrated on the spring and fall equinoxes while Tapu Koko and Tapu Fini are celebrated on the summer and winter solstices.

So going by that logic, Asalie's family would have moved to Alola around beginning to mid May (Asalie's birthday was on May 12th), she would have met Lillie and Tapu Koko at the end of May/ beginning of June before the summer solstice and then spent the next few months traveling through the islands until the celebration of Tapu Bulu in September.

On that note, Hau turns fifteen on September 7th and Lillie turns sixteen on December 25th- Gladion turns 19 the next May 14th. So Asalie and Gladion are both Tauruses, Hau is a Virgo and Lillie is a Capricorn. Solid.

If anyone can a more proper timeline or spot any inconsistency in this, PLEASE don't hesitate to say so so I can clean up the story timeline properly.


	22. Chapter 22

Cottonmouth25: I know, right? It was a ton of fun coming up with it from what I found in Malie Library.

I got the descriptions of the kahunas from the Tapus themselves and took some creative liberties concerning them.

Also congratulations! You're the 100th review of Skies Above Us! (Breaks out party cannon)

I'm working on the oneshot you requested and I should finish it soonish.

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: It must be something.

Gigarot: Heh :)

I do my best- thank you very much U/_/U

DragonXDelinquent: Like Acerola said, there are many different versions of the same story.

Is it a good clusterfuck- or not a good clusterfuck?

Caellach Tiger Eye: I don't mind at all- I chose those dates because I felt it made the most sense to be celebrated those days and I assumed that was when they took place in-game.

It's been a lot of fun writing Asalie's character- I wanted to try and take a different approach with the trainer character and in so far, I've seen that it's one that works.

I'd answer your questions, but- **SPOILERS** , y'know? ^^;

Lusamine is a lot of fun to write too- not just in her interactions with Asalie but knowing that everyone reading knows her true colors and it just ups the creepiness factor all the more.

Traveling outdoors with five other living creatures and seeing the various things during travel can do that to you- truth be told, the reason that the progression is slower is that I have been basing my story off the current game I am playing and I write the interactions as I play the game. Right now, game-wise, I'm inside Po Town but I've already got drafts written out for the chapters.

It was hard deciding her team- in fact, there were a lot of last minute changes, some that went on during the story itself. But I've satisfied with what she'll have.

Anyways, I'm really happy you've enjoyed the story and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it in the future.

P.S: Male spider...? Oh, I see- I never noticed, truth be told ^^; And reading your review was nothing short of a treat :)

* * *

Malie Garden was beautiful. There were no other words for it- it's entire aesthetic, from the ponds and streams with bridges, to the vegetation, flowers and trees, were designed to be beautiful and soothing to behold and bask in.

"GODDAMMIT IFRIT!"

The Magby- now Magmar- smirked over the unconscious Ariados as Kumonga tried to douse the small fire that had already charred one of the chairs by the vendor. "I am so, so sorry!" she apologized frantically to the old woman running it.

"Peace child- I have spare chairs," the old woman assured her, "and I know you did not do this of your own accord and you've already put out of the fire. There is no more danger."

Regardless, the brunette made sure that Ifrit apologized- in her own language, but it was the principal of the thing- to the old woman, who introduced herself as Ewa. After Asalie helped her get out a spare chair, she offered to help with the tea but Ewa turned her down.

"I appreciate your earnestness but your inexperience would sour the drink," the old woman said kindly.

The brunette sat down to catch her breath- after reading with Lillie and Acerola, the latter suggested going to the trial past Route 10. Asalie tried to stay with Lillie longer but the blonde eventually shooed her out. "You said you had errands to do, didn't you? You mustn't put them off."

 _Well, this isn't putting it off if I'm trying to find Kukui,_ she thought, giving the garden another look-see- however, she had yet to see the bare-chested professor anywhere and she eventually went back to her tea.

Bishop was eating more after their evolution, as though eating their the extra heads. Pell was eating more as well and Asalie noticed she was rather subdued- perhaps from her defeat from that creature? Kumonga startled a few people, though those more used to Malie garden didn't bat an eye. Ruby happily scarfed down her food, getting crumbs all over her muzzle and Ifrit was finding more trouble eating with her new body temperature accidentally turning her treats into ash.

As she sipped the tea, Asalie was reminded of the blend that Kaila had used and wondered if she had gotten the recipe fro Malie City since she had stopped her journey there.

 _I should ask her when I go back to Melemele._

The late morning went onto into early afternoon and by the time 1 PM had rolled by, Asalie had a feeling the professor wasn't going to show up that day. When she paid for another cup, Ewa noticed the Z-Ring and asked, "May I see that, please?"

The brunette allowed her to and the old woman's eyes widened as she examined it. "Dear if you don't mind me asking, where did you get this?"

So Asalie explained what happened at Plank Bridge, of course leaving Nebby ambiguous. Ifrit couldn't help looking up from her malasada in amazement at her story and Ewa looked pleasantly surprised.

"To think one of our guardians could take such an interest in another!" the old woman remarked in amazement. "Usually they only give those sparkling stones to those who would take over their island as the next kahuna."

Asalie's eyes widened at this and her stomach twisted- that was a little too much to take in. Did Tapu Koko seriously expect her to look after everyone on Melemele island? Did they intend to make her Hala's successor for whatever reason they had?!

 _You'd think they'd give this sort of thing to Hau!_

"You know, my grandmother once told me a story of the four kings and their rule," Ewa said, smiling softly with nostalgia. "How when they had fought on even though their enemy crushed them into the ground- how this was enough that the beast who called the moon turned them into the Tapus to save them from death!"

"Really?"

"Yes- the four kings fought with all their might when the beast arrived, but soon they began to approach death. Impressed by their determination, Lunala bestowed on them great power and this turned them into the Island Deities."

"... actually, that does make a lot of sense," Asalie admitted, expression thoughtful. "I mean, I heard a story of three Pokemon who got revived after dying in a fire- and it would explain why they'd choose to aid Alola."

"Indeed- their devotion is something to be emulated."

The brunette smelled the soft scent before she heard her and turned around "Pres-"

Lusamine put a finger over her lips with a gentle smile and the brunette quickly cut herself off- she wore a sunhat, tanktop with a bow tied behind her neck, riffled skirt and heels. "Oh, is this a friend of yours?" Ewa asked.

"Yeah," the brunette immediately responded before freezing and turning back to the blonde in time for her smile to turn radiant- the brunette felt her insides turn warm at this.

"How are you enjoying Malie City?" Lusamine asked as she pulled up a chair, managing to look both incredibly beautiful and out of place with the scenery.

"It's definitely one of my favorite cities- really big though," Asalie said, quickly paying for another cup before the blonde gracefully accepted it.

"Indeed," the blonde agreed as she took a dainty sip. "This is my favorite city in Alola- calm, serene and so very, very beautiful."

"I'm kind of surprised that you have enough time to see the cities with how busy you must be, especially right now."

"I've been working as the president for many years- I've learned to have my fun when and where I can."

Lusamine's smile became more playful. "I also distinctly remember promising I'd take you shopping for a smashing outfit."

Asalie stared in surprised at this- she thought that the blonde had only said such a thing on a whim! But she also knew that she had to go clothes shopping eventually- she couldn't just keep two outfits on her all the time, especially with how quickly worn out she learned they could become.

"You don't have to-"

"I want to- after, it's the least I can do for you after you protected Aether Paradise."

Well, now she really couldn't say no even if she wanted to. "Well, okay then- if you're fine with this and it's no trouble..."

The look of joy on the blonde's face made Asalie feel warm and she had to stifle how wide her own smile became by sipping her team. During this, Lusamine examined the five Pokemon thoughtfully.

"A Dartrix, a Magneton, a Lycanroc, an Araquanid and a Magmar..." she counted off each of them before remarking, "You have quite a diverse team- I never noticed back at Aether Paradise."

"Well, it was kind of chaotic."

"Indeed," the blonde agreed before saying, "You know, they say that one's Pokemon team is a reflection of the trainer's personality- from what you have so far, I'd say you were guarded but optimistic person with shades of a hot temper and a desire to improve yourself."

Asalie's eyes widened almost comically- that assessment had been more or less spot-on with how people had described her in the past, yet Lusamine could tell the brunette's general personality just by looking at her team?

 _She's incredible!_

* * *

After they finished their beverages, Lusamine all but dragged Asalie over to the Malie boutique.

"Here, now don't strain yourself," the blonde said, sitting her down on one of the chairs as she went to look through the available clothing.

The brunette was reminded of the time when her mom had taken her shopping for back to school clothes- when she was seven. Luckily, her mom had similar tastes in clothing as Asalie did, so she was never disappointed with what she got.

About ten minutes later, the different items Lusamine collected were beginning to grow as high as the counter where the cashier was. "There- that should be a good starting point," the blonde said with satisfaction.

Asalie couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable at seeing the skirts and dresses that were picked out. "Now, none of that," Lusamine said, wagging a finger a bit at her expression. "You'll look lovely no matter what you wear- I'll make sure of it."

 _Well if there's anyone to trust about clothing, it may as well be the woman who manages to look like a super model despite being forty plus years old._ _Wait what-_

The brunette had no time to dwell on this as Lusamine handed her the first outfit and ushered her into the changing room- she had a dark red skirt, black leggings and a navy blue collared shirt. Putting them on, she couldn't help feeling a little impressed at how it looked- coming out, Lusamine nodded in approval how she looked.

"That looks wonderful- but we can make you look even better," she said before giving Asalie the next outfit- a dark green halter top and bow for the back of the neck, a blue layered skirt and black espadrilles.

This went on for nearly two hours and Asalie was incredulous at how much time was being taken up- because for every outfit that Lusamine gave her and that she tried on, she would return most of them back to the racks and only keep a few things while getting more articles from different parts of the store. And just when she thought that they were through it, Asalie noticed one last outfit covered in paper and that Lusamine was trying to conceal how _giddy_ she was.

 _Oh I've got a bad feeling about this..._

When Asalie went back into the changing room, she simultaneously paled and marvled at the outfit: a teal... _ballroom gown_ that reached her knees with ruffled sleeves that ended at the elbows, a green shawl with white bow, a teal sunhat with gray bow, white tights and black lace-up boots with green-gray laces.

This was the kind of outfit that she would only seen in photos of conventions, the kind of outfit that Cece would save up for for either Hallow's Eve or said convention- or both. It wasn't as complex to get into as she feared- that went to the Rozen Maiden cosplay Cece had dragged her into- but it was still a hassle to get on properly. But when she got everything on and exited the changing room, Lusamine's whole face lit up like a child's on Christmas day.

"You look _beautiful!_ " she gushed with delight.

Asalie's face burned and her insides felt warm at the compliment. "Th-thank you," she got out. "Where- where did you find-"

"I made it myself- the fabric was imported all the way from Kalos."

The brunette stared in shock at this. While Kalos was renowned for being one of the biggest, if not THE biggest region in the world, they were the most famous for having some of the best clothing and fashion the world had ever seen- and the only reason she knew this was that Cece had been gushing over an outfit that had been criminally expensive before falling into a gloomy funk over her lack of funds.

 _So how do I tell her that I wouldn't be seen in this thing- save the boots- unless at a convention?_

"Well, it shows- this is really beautiful," Asalie said aloud carefully. "I'll make sure that nothing happens to this outfit-"

"Oh, there's no need for that," Lusamine assured her. "The fabric is designed to keep it's shape from wear and tear and is machine washable. There's no danger involved in wearing it."

"Oh- that's- _that's good..."_

* * *

Thus, the two left the boutique with Asalie still wearing the entire outfit- her face burned hotter as she noticed some people looking at them and Lusamine had already taken one of her hands so she couldn't pull down the rim of the sunhat over her face properly.

"The restaurants here have some of the best Johtohese style cuisine in the entire region," Lusamine pointed out a large building with sliding doors and a board with Hariyama with the face cut out laying against the side.

The restaurant was gorgeous inside- with a miniature stream and bridge across, brilliant crimson walls with gold-lined dragons dancing across and soft, Johtohese music playing in the background.

"We'll have two Geisha sets with a Ronin on the side, please," the blonde said before laying down an extra bit of money. "In the VIP area please."

"Of course," the host said, bowing politely- another server escorted them across the bridge and to the back.

The VIP room looked nothing like a room- rather, a giant man-made garden nestled away from human hands and eyes with the stream flowing through it. They were seated at a table in the center of the area and given a pot of Jasmine tea and a bowl of dumplings while they waited.

When Asalie heard "Geisha Set", she expected something like what Lillie ordered in Konikoni City- vegetable-based with sauce and little else. Instead, it was an assortment of paper-thin slices of meat with a tangy-smelling fruity culinary foam lightly drizzled on them, a rich soup filled with herbs, mashed fish and radishes. The Ronin side had small dishes of white rice, miso soup with pickled vegetables and a side of shrimp with bamboo shoots, meant to compliment whatever set they came with.

The quality of the food was noticeably finer than the restaurant in Konikoni and Asalie could feel herself go slack from the deliciousness of the food- to be able to go out to eat twice in just a few days was something a younger her would have been joyous about, but with her finds and running around like she had been, the brunette had learned to enjoy food like this more.

Even when eating and obviously enjoying the taste, Lusamine managed to look graceful like it was second-nature to her. The brunette couldn't help feeling awkward eating in her presence, even in clothing that would make Cece foam at the mouth at how it looked. What must it be like for such a woman to be so graceful but so cordial- to have so much power but still take time off for someone like her?

Once they finished the meal, they laid back in the chairs and enjoyed the tea. "Is this the first journey you've been on, Asalie?" Lusamine asked. "Your skill displayed is not something I'd imagine someone who's just started out would possess."

The brunette's face burned and the praise and her head ducked down on instinct only for the blonde's hand to halt the notion by gently tilting her chin up so they could meet each other's eyes. She couldn't keep the gaze and her eyes flickered down, face becoming hotter.

"This is my first trainer journey," Asalie got out, making Lusamine raise an eyebrow.

"You must have been studying for many years if you're able to be so strong then. I can only imagine that you must have gone through school like it was nothing."

"N-not really..."

The blonde sat back in her chair, waiting expectantly for her to speak as Asalie's hands clutched at her lap, memories already resurfacing.

"When I was a lot younger, being a trainer was the last thing I wanted to do."

* * *

 _Ten year old Asalie sat on the ground with the other children- it was raining harshly outside so they had to stay inside for recess. Luckily, their teacher Reiko had captivated their interest by asking, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"_

 _"I wanna be a trainer!" Damian immediately yelled. "I'm gonna get super strong Pokemon who'll never lose!"_

 _"I'm going to be a teacher, like Miss Reiko," Giselle declared haughtily. "I'll show students how to battle properly."_

 _"I'm gonna be a racer," Dario stated with a smirk. "I'll outrun any Pokemon anywhere, no matter what."_

 _"I will become a Pokemon Circus master!" Stella exclaimed, pumping her fists. "I'll put on the best shows ever!"_

 _They went around the circle until they got to Asalie, who was reading a book about fairy tales. "Asalie?" Reiko asked gently, prompting her to look up. "What would you like to become when you grow up?"_

 _The brunette looked at the kids around her but remained silent. "C'mon, tell us!" Joe prompted._

 _"..."_

 _"Aw, come on- you must have some idea, some kinda dream," Lana said. "I wanna be a racer someday!"_

 _"You'll never beat me, loser-Lana!" Dario yelled._

 _"Bite me, Dario-doofus!" she yelled back._

"BOTH OF YOU BE QUIET," _Reiko ordered, looming over them and making the two children shiver in fear before she returned to normal and said, "It's perfectly all right not to know what you want to do- after all, that's why a trainer's journey is so important: it helps you find what you want to do in life-"_

"I don't want to become a trainer, I don't want to go on a journey, I don't want anything to do with Pokemon."

 _The brunette's words renovated across the room, eyes locked on the floor with anger and resolve. This made a hush go over the students- while none of them knew exactly what happened, a divide was already forming between them and Asalie._

* * *

"In Kanto, being a trainer's like going through puberty- everyone's expected to go through it. So when I was put in basic school and the other students found out I didn't want to be a trainer, they gave me a really hard time."

* * *

 _"Miss Reiko brought some Pokemon today!" Joe called to the others._

 _"Hooray! Let's get the others!" Mikey exclaimed before looking around. "Where's Asalie-?"_

 _"Don't bother- she doesn't like Pokemon," Timmy said with a frown. "She'd be mad if we did."_

 _Asalie looked over at the children playing with the Pokemon over in the yard as she stayed under the slide with her books, not paying them any mind._

 _"So, how's it going?"_

 _The brunette continued to read her book, ignoring the four students before her- that is until Stella ripped the book out of her hands and tossed it away._

 _"Think you're too good to be a trainer?" Giselle asked with a sneer. "Think you're better than people who actually make an effort to move up in the world?"_

 _"I bet she's just scared," Dario said with a smirk. "Too scared to try and too scared to do anything."_

 _Asalie's eyes narrowed before she got up and went to get her book before heading inside._

 _"Yeah, you better run away!" Damian yelled after her. "That's all you're good at!"_

* * *

"Well one day, a new kid came to class- her name was Cece and she didn't want to be a trainer either."

* * *

 _"Everyone, we have a new student today!"_

 _Asalie didn't look up, trying to rub away the insult that was written on her desk. She was able to wipe most of it off but she would need some soap to get it off completely._

 _"Hmph, I don't ever wanna be a trainer!"_

 _This made her thought grind to a halt and she finally looked up- the student was a girl covered in freckles with teal-blue hair in pigtails and bright gold eyes with ironclad resolve in them._

 _"I'm gonna find out what I wanna do someday, and NOT by going along with what everyone thinks just because it's what's done!" the girl declared. "Anyone who's got an'thin' t' say to me, bring it on!"_

* * *

"I was honestly shocked at this- I tried to approach her, but we got off to a bit of a misunderstanding...

* * *

 _The new girl was off on her own during recess, swinging harshly on the swingset. Asalie pumped herself up and went over to see her. "Um-"_

 _However, the new girl suddenly launched herself off the swing and Asalie gave a startled exclamation before she landed right in front of the brunette. The two stared at one another for a few seconds before the girl took in a breath._

 _"Now you listen up good- you c'n call me weak, scared, anythin' you like," she said with a scowl before pointing an accusatory finger in the brunette's face, "but that's not gonna change my mind- heck, you tryin' to compensate's just gonna backfire in your stupid face!"_

 _"No, that's not it at all!" Asalie exclaimed. "I don't wanna be a trainer either!"_

 _The girl's eyes widened and her finger lowered. "You don't?"_

 _"No- and you're the first person I've met who doesn't wanna be one either..."_

 _Her eyes were wide at this as she regarded Asalie- finally she put her hand forward. "Cece Duplica."_

 _The gesture surprised her but the brunette put her hand forward as well._ _"Asalie Nalani."_

* * *

"That's wonderful that you were able to find a friend in her," Lusamine said kindly.

Asalie smiled at this before continuing, "Of course, the bullies immediately tried to go after her too once we started hanging out."

* * *

 _"Well if it isn't the cowardly compadres!"_

 _Asalie and Cece were both eating lunch by the swings when Damian, Giselle, Dario and Stella came up to them. "Looks like the weaklings have grouped up," Damian sneered. "But two Magikarps are still still weak."_

 _"Nice alliteration- what b-movie did you pull that from?" Cece said as she ate casually. "Also thanks."_

 _"You think you're so-" Damian began to sneer before he fully digested what she said. "Huh?"_

 _"I said 'thanks'- you called us Magikarp."_

 _"He was making fun of you, stupid!" Giselle snapped._

 _"He compared us to a Pokemon that evolves int' Gyrados- if that's not a compliment, I dunno know what is."_

 _Damien looked confused at this before he sputtered, "Th-that's not what you're supposed to-"_

 _"Well whatever," Giselle huffed before she pointed at Cece. "The fact of the matter is is that you're never going to amount to anything and you've only got yourselves to blame for that!"_

 _Asalie's fist was already smashing against Giselle's face and she was knocked to the ground with a bloody nose._

* * *

She blushed sheepishly at this but the satisfaction she felt when her fist cracked against Giselle's face was still one of the biggest highlights in her memory.

"After that, we were pretty much inseparable- united because we didn't want to be trainers. Turns out we lived right next to one another's apartment buildings and we ended up spending time together whenever we were able- playing video games, reading, trying on cosplay, laughing at idiots and surfing the internet. Whenever we did go out, Cece was always stating exactly what was on her mind to anyone- this got us both into a lot of trouble but we still had each other's backs."

Asalie suddenly planted her fist into her palm and recounted, "Once, this punk with a motorcycle knocked me down and Cece got so mad, she yelled at him for two minutes straight- it got so bad he actually kicked her in the face and was about to bash her head into the street."

"I trust she was all right since you speak of her in present tense?"

"Yeah- he didn't get further because I jumped him and covered his eyes to distract him before we were noticed by some police officers. We all got reprimanded and punished, but Cece refused to apologize, even with a broken nose."

The blonde smiled again. "You were both willing to put yourselves on the line to protect one another- I can't imagine a better friendship."

Asalie smiled at this before it softened with sadness. "When I got news that we were moving, neither of us could stop crying- we probably hadn't meant to but we were already really close. We both stuck close because no one else gave us any mind outside our families and I guess I assumed I'd move on- but I still miss her so much..."

"But you've still been able to keep in touch with her, have you not?"

Asalie nodded in affirmation to this. "We've been exchanging letters when we can and she even sent over her favorite necklace to me in one of her packages."

The blonde smiled at this. "I'm glad you were able to meet such a good friend- you must be lonely here."

"Not as much as I expected," Asalie admitted. "Truth be told, I got more friends here than in Kanto now."

"Your team and sweet Hau, correct?"

"Uh-huh. And Lillie too!"

The blonde froze at this statement, fingers digging into her cup. Asalie didn't notice and went on, "She's really smart and motherly- she's not afraid to call anyone out but she only does because she's worried for them and tries to help however she can. She's already done so much for me since I came here."

Her smile became fonder- she had so much to be grateful for Lillie, thinking back. She was her first friend, alongside Hau, in Alola, she helped keep her spirits up so many times- from getting used to her journey in Hau'Oli to helping her recover in Konikoni, Asalie knew she could rely on Lillie.

 _Even if it only turns out to be a crush, I really-_

The brunette's thought was cut short when Lusamine's cup shattered around her hand from her gripping it so tightly, tea running down her hand and dripping onto her lap, fingers bloody from the ceramic digging into her skin.

"Lusamine! Hey, we need help over here, she's hurt!" Asalie exclaimed to the server, who quickly left.

She grabbed the napkins and gently pressed them against Lusamine's hands- soft and manicured to perfection- to sop up the tea and soak up the blood. However, the blonde then took her good hand and gripped Asalie's chin so they could meet each other's eyes again and the brunette shivered at the stone cold gaze.

"Be wary of those who keep secrets from you- those who are not what they seem will only hurt you in the end," Lusamine told her sternly. "Trust me, I know."

When the server came back with a medical kit, Lusamine waved him away and bandaged them herself before collecting her things. "Please dwell on what I said, Asalie dear," she said. "I don't want you to get hurt."

With that, she left.

* * *

The dress/outfit that Lusamine gave Asalie is based on Celesteela, my favorite Ultra Beast.

Also to give attention to my schedule- the reason there was so little time between my updates was because of the winter season slowing down customers at my work place. With the weather getting (somewhat) warmer, more customers are coming and my schedule is starting to resemble what I had before.

What does this mean? Probably what you think: time between updates is going to be longer.

I will try to get chapters out but if they take longer, you'll know why at least. Time is money and all that.


	23. Chapter 23

SenpaixNotices: Then I did my job.

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Perhaps...

TheHolyBlade: Thank you- I've been anticipating this chapter for a while now :D

DragonXDelinquent: She's shorter than Lillie ^^;

Cottonmouth25: She might have made Guzma dress similar to Xurkitree as well- they look rather similar too. Wouldn't put it past her.

Gigarot: To be fair, I don't think anybody'd get it unless I put it in author's note ^^;

Exposition, as well as how Lusamine might use this information.

* * *

One changing session later at the Pokemon Center and Asalie had gotten off the outfit- she now wore a white blouse, navy blue skirt and white thigh-socks with her ever present green jacket. She kept the boots while she wrapped up the rest of the outfit carefully and brought it to the city's mail system to send to her house.

The rest of the clothes Lusamine had bought for her would tide her over in the meantime, though she wished there were more pants and shorts than skirts and dresses- she was glad there were tights and leggings included though.

She was able to meet Hau and Lillie up later that night as they recounted their days- Hau had found where the next trial would be and would be spending his time training up for it while Lillie had found some maps detailing where to find the Ruins of Abundance, where Tapu Bulu was said to be.

"So, what did you do today, Asalie?" Lillie asked with a smile- only for it to slide right off as the brunette told the two about her day with Lusamine.

"You're kidding," Hau said, trying his hardest not to break out in laughter. "She got you- a whole outfit?!"

"Yeah- ballgown, sunhat and everything," Asalie replied with a weak grin and sweatdrop. "I mean, it's really pretty, but I wouldn't wear it all the time- expect for the boots. The boots I keep on me because they look great."

"Well, it sounds like you had a really nice time- wish I could have come along," Hau said wistfully before adding, "Well, not for the clothes shopping- I'm fine with my style, thanks."

Asalie chuckled at that before she remembered their conversation afterwards. "It was really nice," she admitted. "The last time I had a day like that was- was with-"

Her sentence was cut off as Lillie abruptly stood up, expression shadowed and body trembling. Asalie reached for her in concern only the blonde to suddenly slap her hand away.

"Whoa!" Hau, exclaimed jumping to his feet.

The brunette could only stare stunned as she cradled her hand- it hadn't hurt but the impact made the appendage burn. Lillie opened her mouth to speak but then closed in and left the center in an almost sprint.

* * *

Lillie didn't show up the next day- whether she already left or stayed in her room, Asalie didn't know. Her hand felt numb over the course of the rest of the night and into the morning.

"Hey Asa!" Hau called to her from the cafe area.

She went to join him and settled by his side as she ordered a cup of Roserade Tea while the green-haired boy chugged down a mug of Tapu Cocoa. The hot drink brought some warmth into her body and the taste soothed her if just a little.

"I'm gonna try some special training by Route 11 today- wanna come with?" Hau suggested and the brunette agreed.

Once they finished their drinks, they went to Route 11 until they spotted the captain's barricade- they got out their respective teams and the Pokemon crowded around one another in greeting, save Ifrit who was less familiar with the four Pokemon before Kumonga gestured her over.

"So what kind of special training are you thinking of?" Asalie asked before Hau opened up his pack and pulled out Normalium-Z, Waterium-Z, Firium-Z, Grassium-Z and Fightium-Z with a grin.

"I've been meaning to try these out for a while, but it kept slipping my mind," he explained sheepishly.

Asalie gave a little smile at this before she pulled out her own Z-Crystals as well. "Me too."

They spread the crystals out proper and looked them over. "Professor Kukui said that these can be used by Pokemon who know moves that're the same type as the Z-Crystal," Hau said. "But considering moves used as the same type as a Pokemon gets stronger..."

"We at least have Pokemon who know the moves of the crystals, so we don't have to worry about not being able to see all the moves," Asalie pointed out. "So which do we try first?"

"Let's do Normalium-Z- that's the first Z-Crystal we both got!"

Hau gave his Z-Crystal to Akela for her quick attack while Asalie gave hers to Bishop for their tri-attack they recently learned. Next, they looked for a target to practice on, settling for a couple of Trumpeak who were cawing loudly and obnoxiously.

The two trainers went through the motions Ilima showed them- as she settled into the last part of the pose, Asalie felt adrenaline ignite inside and out her body and she felt as though she could run and run for days on end.

 _ **"Breakneck Blitz!"**_ she and Hau ordered, even their voices brimming with power, before it disappeared from all around her and Bishop and Akela's bodies glowed with beige power before they shot forward and smashed into the Trumpeak, knocking them over the horizon.

The brunette slumped to her knees, struggling to catch her breath- the adrenaline leaving her body had left her feeling cold and empty in a way that made her skin crawl. Pell laid a cautious wing on her back, expression worried.

"That was- _wow!"_ Hau rasped, sweat dropping off his face and expression torn between upset and euphoric.

 _This- this must be why it can only u-used once a battle,_ Asalie realized, thoughts disjointed from the state her body was in.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't use Z-Moves on the wild Pokemon- there are plenty of stationary targets that are sturdier for practice!"

They looked to the one who spoke and saw a dark skinned with woman with dreadlocks tied back in a high ponytail, blue t-shirt and white capri pants- a periwinkle hoodie was tied around her waist and a Gravler with black gems stuck to it's body by her side.

"S-sorry," they both got out, even breathing difficult.

The woman went over to them and guided them to sit down on the ground and Asalie slumped against the grass, glad to have something beneath her as her vision began to swim.

"You've got water and food on you, right? Get it out," the woman instructed and the teenagers obeyed and got out some energy bars- and twice baked malasadas from Hau's- and two water bottles.

The brunette was amazed that she had eaten everything she had on her and the woman was already bringing out a spare water bottle from her pack after she finished hers.

"Th-thanks a lot, miss," Hau said gratefully as he patted his stomach.

"Kai- not a problem," the woman, said with a nod.

"Like the kahuna?" the question was coming out of Asalie's mouth before she could stop it and Kai smirked at this. "If I had a pokeyen for every time I heard that one..."

"Sorry-"

"There's nothing to apologize for. Anyways, the Z-Move will always tax you like that, so if you're going to be doing any training with it, you need food and water on you at all times- the best way to make it less taxing would be training your body proper."

"You really know a lot about Z-Moves, Miss Kai?" Hau asked, eyes wide.

"This is a common place for trainers to practice Z-Moves," Kai explained, gesturing to the route. "There are plenty of targets and it's closest to the center of the routes by Malie City."

Asalie nodded to this- it made sense and she was still doing the stretches that Hiromi showed her back at Hau'Oli, though she had slacked off a bit when she was recovering in Konikoni.

 _Now would be as good a time as any to get back into it._

* * *

The next week and a half would bring Hau and Asalie to Kai as she watched over them as they performed their Z-Moves and instructed them proper and kept them from destroying too much of the route or get in the way of the others on the route who were practicing as well.

She and Hau both were exhausted after a single Z-Move but Asalie took only half an hour to recover while Hau nearly took an hour and a half. Kai noticed this and adjusted their training accordingly, though she kept a close eye on Asalie.

"The only ones I've seen get up so fast are island champions- and you don't have the build or experience they do," she told the brunette to the side while Hau was resting before her eyes narrowed. "You're not taking anything-"

"No! I can't even afford drugs!" Asalie exclaimed, a little freaked out at the conclusion the woman had drawn.

"All right then- they wouldn't affect the person if they used a Z-Move anyways."

As the they continued training, Asalie also noticed that Lillie was doing everything to avoid them- she tried to call to the blonde, tried to follow her only to lose her or leave before she could get a word in edgewise. Her hand still twitched from the blow and Lusamine's words kept coming back to her.

 _"Those who aren't what they seem will only hurt you in the end,"?_ she thought. _But I_ know _Lillie- everyone's got their secrets. It's fine if she doesn't tell me everything about her-_

 _And after everything I've done to help her too,_ the thought came, the brunette's mood blackening for a moment before it vanished.

* * *

A few days before the festival for Tapu Bulu would begin, Hau and Asalie found that Kai wasn't on the route- the trainer replacing her informed them that Kai had taken leave to see a sick family member.

"I hope her family gets better," Hau said as they backtracked to Malie. "I'm gonna try to train my team proper- might get some strategies in before the tournament, you know?"

"Uh-? Oh right!" Asalie blinked before remembering what they had signed up for. "Good luck with that then!"

She would find herself wandering down Route 10 by Hokulani Mountain. A request to find eight (ADORABLE) Stuffel and payment of a Never-Melt Ice and fifteen thousand pokeyen later, Asalie reached the bus route at the end of the route to the mountain observatory.

She had taken the bus before all over Saffron, the routes to different towns that were within reach for school, errands and just to hang out and have fun with Cece. One of the biggest advantages in living in Saffron City was that it was right in the middle of Kanto and everything was within a feasible distance- well, save Cinnabar island.

 _Alola's a lot more modern than I've been giving it credit for- and just thinking that makes me feel like an asshole,_ Asalie thought as she continued down the route until she spotted the station and two punks in all too familiar attire.

Immediately, Plumeria's warning came back to her and Asalie repressed a shiver before scowling at the two grunts. "What, you never someone take th' bus before? Geez, these people, H, I tell ya..." the first groused when he noticed her.

"Uh G, ain't that...?" the second asked, looking at Asalie and trying to recognize her.

"Looks like big sis's warning got through to her," G snickered to H, who sneered back, "Looks like we won't 'ave t' worry 'bout 'er an'more..."

"So is this what you always do when you can't back yourselves up- whine and whimper to somebody stronger so they do something about it?" Asalie asked with a scowl. "I can see why everyone doesn't give a Rattata's ass about you guys."

"You shut yer face!" G yelled as he brought out a Raticate.

"Wait bro, do we really wanna fight 'er?" H asked nervously.

"She ain't a threat, bro! Not any-"

Pell cut him off by delivering a kick to the face of the Raticate and knocking it back, glaring balefully at the grunts. _**Dynamic Entry!**_ the Konoha's Leaf Hurricane declared in her head on sheer instinct.

H gave a high pitched scream and hid behind G, "I told you, bro- _I told you!"_

"Shut up!" G yelled before snarling at the brunette, "You must really want your ass kicked, girlie-"

Asalie had already crossed over and grabbed him by his shirt, making G yelp in horror at how fast she came over. "I can take any of you idiots on at any time- and unlike you, I don't need to go crying to anyone to do it," she snarled, gaze glowering with black rage.

"Yo, I'm done with this shit- let's go back to HQ!" H shrieked as he bee-lined it for the opposite direction.

 _"We're gonna tell big sis an' she's gonna beat you up again!"_ G wailed before the two ran off.

"Then you can tell her she'll wish she didn't hold back last time!" Asalie yelled after them before giving an angry exhale- Pell looked at her worriedly but she gave the grass owl a weary smile in return.

 _Well, it's not like I lied or anything- even when Plumeria beat me, my team already beat hers into the ground,_ she thought with a grim smirk. _The only reason we were in a bind was because she played dirty-_

 _"- up there, please!"_

"I'm sorry but the bus is under repair- some uppity brats decided to smash apart the engine."

 _"Are you kidding me?!"_

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience..."

Asalie was jolted from her thoughts by the exchange, particularly when the blond man with glasses slammed his fists against the post before yelping in pain and jumping back. _"Shit, why'd I do that- ggggk!"_ he hissed under his breath, clutching his fist underneath the opposite armpit.

"Uh-" she began but then stopped when she realized how little she had to say- this got his attention nonetheless and he was suddenly grabbing her shoulders.

 _"Excuse me, do you have any Pokemon that can fly?!"_ he exclaimed, staring imploringly at her. _"The Pokemon I have for flying broke her wing in a fight, I can't-"_

"I have a Dartix- she can fly," Asalie got out.

The bespectacled blond crumbled at that, breathing harshly and trying to force his panic down. "What's going on up there?" she askedthe bus driver while placing a hand on the blond's shoulder.

"My cousin- Soffy- Sophocles- he's trying out his trial but something went wrong- he's trapped- he asked me for help-" the man babbled,hands clasping at his head and hair harshly.

* * *

 _She couldn't keep from shaking- their transcripts, their money, their bags, all of it was gone and they were effectively stranded in Celadon with night coming fast._

 _"Okay, okay, okay," Cece rasped as she tried her phone again- the subway wasn't the best place for a reception but both were too scared to move from where they were._

 _After what seemed like hours, her cellphone got a reception. "YES!" her friend exclaimed and dialed home as fast as she could._

 _["Hello, Cece?"] her mother on the other end asked._

 _"Mom, someone took all our stuff- all our money- we're at Celadon Subway- please come help!" Cece exclaimed, voice cracking from relief and fear._

 _["- at Celad- where you are- co-"]_

 _At that, the line went dead._

* * *

"How long does it take to get up there on foot?" Asalie asked the bus driver, who in turn looked at her like she asked if he could sprout wings and fly.

"On fo- Do you even know what you're asking?! There's a reason the bus is used like it is!"

"Well, we really don't have much of a choice right now!" Asalie snapped, the bespectacled blond looking at her in surprise. "Now do you know how long it takes or not?!"

"... an hour at the very least- and that's with a strong team."

"Then we need to get going now," she declared before turning to the blond. "I've got some healing items and I can only assume you do too- you've gone up there before, right?"

"Yes- I know the way, more or less," the man said, surprised and relieved at once before adding, "I'm Molayne."

"And I'm Asalie- let's go."

They went past the bus and Asalie paled at the sheer height of the path before them, extending into the clouds themselves. _Oh, this is gonna be fun..._

When she and Cece had finished up their current grade, they decided to celebrate by going to Celadon to shop. But when they had turned their backs to take a picture, someone had stolen their bags, what they bought and all of their money- all they had on them was their phones. Too scared to move, they tried to call their parents- eventually, Cece's mom came to get them. Luckily, the police had already caught the robber and they were able to pick up their stuff ten minutes later.

Even though it had ended all right in the end, recounting the fear of that day was far too easy for Asalie to do- and seeing someone go through something so similar was not something she could bring herself to ignore.

When roughly twenty minutes had passed, Molayne's phone began to ring. "Soffy, are you okay?!" he exclaimed into the phone.

["Big Mo!"] a young boy's voice exclaimed on the other end, frantic. ["A fuse blew- the door's sealed shut- _I can't get out!"]_

"It's okay, I'm on my way- but it's gonna take a while, the bus is out. Just hang in there, okay?"

 _["You're on foot?!"]_ 'Soffy' cried. _["Get off the road- QUICK!"]_

Just then, a great electric attack smashed down between the brunette and blond, knocking them both back. Asalie blindly reached for her poke-balls only to freeze- she had no Pokemon with ground type attacks, nor did she have any resistances against electric types. Pell was part flying so her resistance was out, Kumonga was out of the question because of his water type, Ruby's defenses were the lowest-

 _Wait, what about-_

"Bishop, tri attack!" Asalie shouted as she brought the Magneton out- they sent out freezing, shocking and burning energy at the target.

When the light died down, Asalie saw a Grubbin had collapsed in front of them. The brunette felt relief at this- she could deal with bug types with Ruby and Ifrit. She brought them out alongside Bishop and explained the situation- Ifrit took point while Ruby guarded the back.

"Aw, jeez- he's really doing that with his new trial?" Moylane asked, expression and tone of voice torn between pride and mortal terror. "I mean it's great, but this is the worst possible time-"

"Wait, what is he doing?"

"It's a little hard to explain- you know how in all your previous trials how you found the Totem Pokemon or had to bring it directly to you?"

Asalie remembered getting Normalium-Z triggered the Gumshoos attack, she had to go to the last lake after fighting all the Wishiwashi, she had to do Kiawe's "observations" in his dances until Salazzle showed up and she had to make whatever the hell a Mallow Special was to bring the Lurantis over.

"Well, Soff- Sophocles, wanted to try doing a new kind of trial- one where the Totem Pokemon is summoned directly to the observatory so the trial goer can fight them like that."

The brunette mulled over this- it actually made a lot of sense. The mountain was proving itself incredibly dangerous and she was already tired from traveling up it- if she were to fight a Totem Pokemon at the end of it, she doubted either she or her team would last long.

"So what's the problem then?"

"The problem is that he's using a device that he didn't originally make- that being, a sound system that attracts Pokemon over that humans can't hear. I was the one who made the machine first and Sophocles asked to use it for his new trial."

"I see- so you'll get the machine under control while I take care of the Totem when it arrives?"

"Sounds like a plan."

They kept heading up the mountain and Asalie started to pant harshly, trying to take in as much air as she could and finding that it was getting harder and harder to do so. It was also getting much colder and she shivered violently- Ifrit's flames were an Arceus-send for the trip up and she was grateful her jacket still survived.

Forty minutes in and Molayne's phone rang again. ["Big Mo, are you there?!"]

"I'm right here, Soffy- we're still heading up but we should be there soon!"

["Be careful- the Totem Pokemon's-"]

He was cut off as a more powerful electric attack came at them- Asalie was ready though and she ordered, "Ruby, rock slide!" and the rock attack swiftly knocked out their opponent, a Charjabug.

Molayne kept the wild Pokemon away- Asalie noticed he favored steel types in Dugtrio and Metang, while his Skaromy was still hurt from the splint on her wing, she kept lookout for them. However the second Charjabug used acrobatics and smashed into Ifrit, nearly knocking er out and off the cliffside- it was only Pell shooting out of her poke-ball and catching her before Ruby used rock slide to knock it out she was saved.

As they came closer, Asalie saw a Pokemon Center and observatory at the top. "We're nearly there!" Molayne exclaimed, putting an extra burst of speed.

They reached the top about fifteen minutes and Asalie wasn't as out of breath as she expected. Molayne struggled to catch his breath, relief evident. "W-we made it," he rasped, starting to make his way to the building before the brunette heard a faint buzzing noise that reminded her of when Bishop used an electric attack.

She was already racing to the blond and knocked him out of the way of the spark attack, the power of the electric move leaving a sizable crack in the ground where they had been standing previously. Asalie wheezed weakly from the impact, which had driven the little air in her lungs out and she struggled to regain it.

 **"Heeeeeeerrrrre!"** the shadow above them screeched- a Vikavolt, blazing with brilliant yellow power.

The grin stretched back onto her face, chest heaving as she struggled to breath through her clenched teeth.

"It's all on you, Asalie!" Molayne yelled as he dove for the building's door. "Good luck!"

"Ruby, Ifrit! Let's go!" Asalie shouted, the Twilight Lycanroc and Magmar quickly taking stage as the gigantic Vikavolt hovered above them, glowing with power.

 **"Heeeeerrre!"** Vivavolt screeched as it came down with another spark attack, the electricity crackling harshly in the air- from the side, Asalie caught sight of two Charjabugs scuttled over from behind.

"Ruby- rock slide on the Charja-" Asalie began before she wheezed and coughed from the little air in her lungs.

The Twilight Lycanroc got the gist though and she smashed the reinforcements to the side with her rock slide. Not to be outdone, Ifrit fired a flame burst at the Viikivolt, only to dodge the fire attack with sheer speed. Ifrit's eyes narrowed as she tried the attack again only for it to miss.

 **"RAAAGH!"** she yelled in frustration, firing again and again and not caring where the attacks hit so long as the Vikivolt was before the lack of air made her cough harshly and the flame on her tail began to sputter.

Asalie's hand came up to her chest to soothe it as she struggled to take in air. Ruby was leaping about, trying to dodge the Vivavolt's spark attacks before she collided with Ifrit, nearly knocking them both over.

 **"Heere!"** Vikavolt screeched and loomed above the two- in a display that nearly took the little breath Asalie had managed to get into her lungs, Ifrit pushed Ruby to the side so she took the brunt of the spark attack, becoming paralyzed just in time for another Charjabug to scuttle past her.

Ruby stared stunned at this before giving a loud howl that made Asalie's hair stand on end, even knowing that the move was to boost her attack power. The Vikavolt's jaw moved downwards before swallowing before it sent a powerful spark attack at Ruby before the Charjabug used acrobatics to knock her back a few steps.

The Midnight Lycanroc barely seemed to notice the damage as her eyes began to glow blood-red.

Asalie finally got enough air in her lungs to give a triumphant, "Yes!" while Ruby howled her victory.

* * *

Molayne and a round stout boy with blotchy red eyes around twelve years old that Asalie assumed to be Sophocles came into the center when her team was about half way done with their healing.

"You're the trainer that came with Big Mo- Molayne, right?" he said to her, voice a little nasally before he sniffled a bit. "A-and you got up the mountain on foot? You've definitely more than earned this!"

With that, he gave Asalie a yellow gem with a thunderbolt insignia along with and stamped her trainer passport with his seal. Then the boy set his arms in front of him before wiggling them about and then crossed his arms in opposite directions with left palm facing up and right palm facing down like a Z-. A moment later, he blushed bright red and turned away from the brunette.

"Here- this is from me for your help," Molayne said and he gave Asalie a metal gray crystal with gear insignia.

He then shot his arms out in front of him, smashed his fists together twice and then pushed out with them both. The next moment he yelped in pain and pushed both fists under opposite armpits against to stave off the pain. _"Every time-!"_ he rasped.

Once her team healed up proper ten minutes later, Asalie put back on her jeans ( _This is why I don't enjoy skirts and dresses,_ Asalie remembered sadly) later and Sophocles informed them both that a spare bus had come and would be at the observatory within the hour.

"Also, could you take this to Professor Kukui? He left this last time he was here," Sophocles requested as he handed her-

"... I fucking knew it," Asalie stated as she looked at the Battle Royal's mask. "There's no one else who has that chest."

She went outside to wait for the bus but immediately regretted it with how cold it was- at least it wasn't Kanto winter cold but after months of being in tropical climate-

"Pretty jarring, isn't it?" Molayne asked as he leaned on the railing by her. "Not many people expect Alola to be cold until they get on our mountains."

Asalie nodded weakly, still trying to keep warm- a moment later, Molayne draped his jacket over her. "Oh- thank you," she said in surprise. "But aren't you-"

"I spent all my years as a trial captain on this observatory- it's nothing I'm not used to," the blond assured her before looking off into the distance. "Mt. Hokulani's the second tallest mountain in Alola- and the tallest..."

The brunette followed his gaze and her breath caught as she saw the shadow looming in the distance over them.

"Mt. Lanakila- it's said that it's the tallest in the world, closest to the sun, the moon and their emissaries," the blond went on. "It's where we'll be establishing our Pokemon League."

Asalie looked back at him in surprise. "You mean- Alola's going to be entering the league?!"

"It was Kukui's idea- to get everyone who's finished up their island challenge, have them battle against the Kahunas in order to pick our very first champion."

"But- what's wrong with how things are now?" Asalie asked, rather upset they were changing up the system- she enjoyed Alola's trials and she didn't want to see them re-hashed as gyms.

"Nothing at all," Molayne said, expression neutral. "But Kukui said, 'It's time to make a champion the whole world will recognize!' But you shouldn't worry- we're not going to change our trials, we're just adding an Elite Four and Champion."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

The conversation trailed off after that, the two of them looking out over to Mt. Lanakila- finally Asalie asked, "So, were you Kukui friends or something during your journeys?"

"You could say that," Molayne said. "He, another friend and I started out as trainers who took the island challenge- I was only only one who was able to properly complete my challenge and become a captain. Kukui left to go to Kanto to train only to get beaten time and time again before becoming a professor- and our last friend... just disappeared."

"You don't know where they went?"

"Well, I didn't say that..."

Asalie looked confused but the blond's expression was so sad that she didn't press him further.

* * *

Altitude sickness takes two to three days to set in.

Also I am very happy that Hau and Gladion were added to the character roster for Pokemon :)


	24. Chapter 24

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Indeed.

I don't mind.

CottonMouth25: After what Lusamine did, anyone would :'(

Gigarot: Thank you- I didn't even plan to make it like that, it just started coming to me when I was writing.

Pretty much.

An Sionnah Rua: I'm glad that you enjoyed the story- I will endeavor to continue to do so.

There have been other games with emotional moments, but Sun and Moon has been the most story driven aside from Unova.

Iron-ninja: :)

* * *

Asalie was happy to be back at a regular altitude after the trial concluded, "Masked Royal's" mask stuffed safely in her satchel and she felt much more comfortable wearing pants again. As she walked down, she came across a red box that felt warm and Ifrit seemed to really like.

Malie City was beginning to look more and more festive with the different decorations being put up- she could see some groups beginning to put up vendors and games as well. The sun was slowly sinking past the horizon and the moon was slowly rising higher into the air and the brunette was reminded of the time that Ruby had evolved.

 _How long ago was that? It couldn't be more than a few weeks but it feels a lot longer,_ she thought, hand clenching around the capsule.

The brunette looked to see Hau talking with Lillie by the center before noticing her. "Hey!" she greeted them with a small smile.

Hau perked up and greeted her back with a smile while Lillie stiffened and kept her gaze trained on the ground.

"The celebration's gonna begin tomorrow morning and the competition'll be in two days, starting at 7!" the green-haired boy told her before handing her a badge with the number **27** on it- his own had number **32**. "I got these from the old guy who told us about the tournament!"

"Thanks a lot," Asalie said as she accepted the badge and put it safely in her bag.

"There's also a store even selling kimonos, yukatas, robes for super low prices!" Hau added, pointing to a vendor. "Let's get some for tomorrow! You come too, Lillie!"

The blonde looked startled at being addressed but shook her head, hands clutching at her hat. "I'm fine, thank you..."

"Aw, c'mon! Can't you take off that silly outfit for even a day?" Hau asked, hands on his hips.

 _"I said I'm fine! Leave me alone!"_

Hau and Asalie both jumped at this, the latter reminded of the festival when the blonde had shouted at her like that. Lillie stormed away moments later, Hau beginning to reach out to her before his hand dropped.

"I- I didn't mean..." he began but trailed off.

Asalie's frown quickly melted into a scowl. Why couldn't she just take off that ridiculous outfit- one that looked too similar to that creature at Aether- and just try to relax for once? Even she didn't have a problem with this and she already knew why she almost never wore dresses and/or skirts.

"Aw well- she'll get over it," Hau finally concluded before grabbing Asalie's hand. "Let's go, Asa!"

* * *

The next morning, Asalie was woken by the sounds of celebration outside the center and she was already out of bed as she realized what day it was. Cleaning and hygiene took half the time she normally used, she had too much anticipation for what would be coming later that night.

She went over to the outfit in the plastic covering and opened it up to reveal a cream colored _yukata_ with green vine and leaf pattern across it, a warm brown sash and bow in the back and slip-on shoes, as the _geta_ sandals hurt her feet too much for her to wear.

Hau waited for her downstairs, wearing an earth-green _yukata_ with goldenrod sash and _geta_ sandals. He looked a little surprised to see her but his regular grin quickly spread as he said, "Let's have some fun!"

They exited to Pokemon Center to find that the festival was in full swing- games, vendors, tents, and people were everywhere. Asalie tried to lose herself in the festival, she really did- but Lillie's reaction to her kept coming back no matter how hard she tried to keep it from her mind. Her absence only seemed to highlight it and Asalie kept looking around to see if the blonde was there when she wasn't.

 _It's not like she'd be any fun to be around right now, anyways,_ came the thought along with the black feeling that lingered just a little longer.

Just then, she felt something being gently pushed into her hair by her left ear- she recoiled in surprise only to see Hau by her and her hand touched a white flower he had placed there. "Sorry if I startled you," he said sheepishly. "I thought this might look nice."

She quickly ducked to see a gleaming pot and looked at her reflection- it didn't look terrible, but it had been years again since wearing things like flowers. "Thanks- I'll try not to lose it," she said aloud.

* * *

The next few hours had the two trainers wandering all over Malie to see the sights, eat the food and play the games set up. There was so much to do, so much to see that Asalie sometimes felt dizzy. Malie City was so much larger than Iki Town, with far more people living there and the festival had brought even more people.

"So, what have you done since Kai's been away?" Asalie asked as she finished up her dango stick.

"Well, I think I've gotten the hang of Z-Moves- at least with recharging my batteries after each attack," Hau replied, slurping down the bowl of fish ramen as he talked. "I even got a new teammate!"

"That's great!" Asalie congratulated him. "What Pokemon are they?"

"He's a Komala- his name's Moke!" the green-haired boy explained. "I don't think he really knows where he is- all he does is sleep..."

Asalie was about to reply back to help comfort him before Hau's fist planted into his palm and he turned to Asalie. "Oh right! I remembered Professor Kukui saying he'd be in Malie Garden during the festival- let's go see him!"

At this, the brunette remembered what she had to give him. "Actually, I forgot something at the center- I'll meet you two in Malie Garden, okay?"

"Aw, but I want you there when I tell Professor Kukui about the wormhole!" Hau whined.

"I'll be there, just a little later- promise!"

Asalie made it to the center a little later than she had hoped, though the clothing was the biggest factor. After rifling through her bag, she found the mask and stuffed it into one of her spare treat bags, covering it in napkins.

As she went down the stairs, she noticed Acerola and Lillie talking in the corner. She was sorely tempted to just go over and join them, ask her what was wrong, ask her why she was acting so strangely-

* * *

 _"Be wary of those who keep secrets from you- those who are not what they seem will only hurt you in the end."_

* * *

Asalie went out the door without another backwards glance.

* * *

By the time that she returned to Malie Garden, Hau and Kukui looked to be finishing up their conversation. In particular, the professor's eyes widen in surprise but his calm smile remained.

"Now that IS amazing!" he agreed. "It sounds like an even better reason to keep on training- speaking of which: there's-"

"- a battle tournament! Me and Asa are gonna fight in it!" Hau finished with a laugh.

"Aw, you beat me to it!" Kukui whined a bit before laughing. "Well, I'm always happy to see new moves and festivals for the Tapu are some of the best ways to see it!"

She went over to join them and Hau waved cheerily before saying with a slight whine, "Asa, you missed EVERYTHING!"

"Sorry," she said, trying not to giggle at the green-haired boy before handing the bag over to Kukui. "For you, from Molayne."

"Aw, really?" Kukui said with a grin before looking into the bag- his expression froze and his face got a blue tinge. "We-he-ll then, I'll leave you two on your date and I'll just, uh, mosey on back to the center! 'KAYTHANKSBYE!"

 _"It's not a date!"_ Hau and Asalie yelled after him as he shot away, leaving behind a literal cloud of dust.

Asalie gave a weak chuckle at his actions. _At least this night wasn't a total loss._

"-know?"

"Yeah," she said without thinking.

This was clearly a mistake, as Hau's expression became flat and he said, "I haven't finished my question yet- or were you not listening the first time?"

"I know- just wanted to see if- sorry, nevermind," Asalie began before shaking her head and asked, "No, I don't know- what is it?"

"You know Miss Acerola?"

Asalie blinked at the mention of the girl and asked, "What about her?"

"She's a trial captain- and she said once we finish up our first trial, we can come to hers!"

This surprised the brunette- Acerola didn't look that much older than Sophocles, thirteen or fourteen at least! _And she's already a trial captain..._

"I'm planning on going in two days- I'm gonna use tomorrow to recuperate!" Hau informed her. "Do you wanna come with?"

"I guess so- I'll probably use tomorrow to rest up after tonight too."

 _"Dammit Rajin!"_

Asalie jumped at this and looked to where the yell was- a boy with platinum blond hair and skin a few shades darker than hers wearing a purple yukata with silver dragonfly pattern was trying to help put out a small fire that had been started by Ewa's vendor while an Electabuzz snickered without remorse and two cris-crossed swords were berating it.

"I'm so sorry about this, ma'am," the boy said, bowing lowly and shooting a stern look at the Electabuzz, who had a completely unapologetic grin on it's face. "He's still being housebroken."

"Peace- I have spare chairs," Ewa said with a calm smile as she pulled out the fire extinguisher again. "This isn't the first fire I've had to put out in so many days. Speaking of which-"

Asalie froze at Ewa greeting her before the boy turned around- he looked a little older than her and his eyes were electric blue. _Well, that's not a face I'd soon forget,_ she couldn't help thinking with melody.

"Uh-" she began, only to find that she didn't know what to say and her throat closed off- but Hau's was as loose as ever.

 _Thank Arceus I didn't say_ that _out loud._

"Whoa!" Hau said in amazement, making the two swords look surprised. "What a cool Pokemon! What is he?!"

"This is Durandal- he's a Doublade," the boy answered with a slight smile before turning to the sword Pokemon. "Calm down- They're not gonna cause trouble."

The Doublade's eyes only narrowed further and it's two tassels made a motion between it's eyes and the two trainers. "Don't worry about him, he's just really protective," the boy assured them before introducing himself, "I'm Michael, by the way."

"I'm Hau!"

"Asalie- nice to meet you. Are you going to be entering the tournament too?"

"Uh-huh," and he showed them his badge, numbered **13**. "I need every opportunity to get stronger and tournaments are some of the best places to improve."

Hau and Asalie blinked at this- it seemed like this trainer was rather competitive. "Well, we wanted to battle but then we decided to leave our match for the tournament," the former explained.

"So you two are rivals, then?"

"Sorta- we're more friends than anything!"

Michael nodded to this, expression neutral- Asalie couldn't tell if he was looking down on them for not fighting seriously or if he expected them to be more than friends.

 _Or maybe I'm just overthinking things and that's a normal expression for him._

"- meet our teams?"

Asalie was brought out of her thoughts as Hau asked Michael something and the blond blinked. "So you can see what Pokemon I plan to use right before a tournament?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Th-that's not what I meant-"

Michael chuckled at that, cutting him off. "I know what you mean," he assured him.

The brunette blinked at this before someone with a megaphone called, **"Could all contestants please come to the town center? The tournament will begin in twenty minutes!"**

"Well, that's our cue!" Hau said before turning to Asalie with a grin. "Here's hoping we'll be able to have our battle!"

She smiled back and gave a thumbs up in response while Michael watched this all happen with a blank expression.

* * *

The center of Malie City had all the roads marked with shapes meet there, Asalie noticed.

The number of contestants in the tournament were far greater than she thought- well over fifty trainers had registered and there were still many who hadn't gotten their chance yet. _Malie City IS a lot bigger than Iki Town, not to mention further down the Island Challenge,_ she thought.

 **"The rules are simple! You may use up to six Pokemon and the battle ends when either side has Pokemon who can no longer battle! In the event of a tie or double KO, both trainers will be eliminated from the competition!"** the person on the megaphone stated.

Michael's opponent was a scientist with Magneton and Porygon that he beat back with Durandal easily. Her first opponent is an athletic lass named Alyssa who had only a Fletchinder and Herdier- Asalie almost felt sorry for how Ruby and Ifrit beat them both down in just two turns. Hau's opponent is a blonde beauty named Andrea with a Steenee and Trumpeak who he beats within three turns with Pele and the Komala Moke- who in truth, snored the entire fight and still beat down the toucan Pokemon. There was also a trainer with black hoodie- number **44** \- who easily demolished their opponent- a blackbelt named Clayton with just an Ariados.

Sixty-four trainers were whittled down to thirty-two. **"Round one has been finished! There will be a half hour break before the second round!"**

"Whoo, we all made it!" Hau cheered, pumping his fist into the air and his cheer was infectious as Asalie grinned along with him. "We've got half an hour- let's go hit the games again!"

"You can't be serious," Michael said, looking incredulous.

"I am- seriously excited!"

The blond shook his head at the two but Asalie could see him trying to hold back a smile before he walked over to where the other trainers were, Durandal looking at them with thinly veiled disgust before Asalie impulsively stuck her tongue out at him before running after her friend.

She and Hau went to the games and she found she was able to enjoy herself more freely- soon both their treat bags began to overflow with small prizes and they both rested at a vendor with some sticks of _dango_ between them. "The next round is starting in a few minutes," the brunette said.

Hau doesn't seem to be listening, staring at his treat with a faraway expression. "Hau?" she tried again and this seems to snap him out of it. "Huh?"

"Next round in four minutes."

"Oh right- let's go. Good luck, Asa."

"You too."

* * *

The trainers re-gathered at the center and the second round took place.

Asalie went up against a fire fighter named Alex with a Polywhirl, Gastrodon and Pelliper- even with three water types, he was harder to beat and Bishop and Pell were exhausted by the time they had finished the fight. Hau won against a rising star named Matthew who had a Cranidos, Archen and Omanyte, though Liko and Akela were knocked unconscious during the battle and Michael already defeated the ace trainer's Ninetales and Gastrodon with a gorgeous mermaid-like seal and a spry Leafeon. Number **44** easily dominated their fight against a scientist, still only using an Ariados against a Magneton and Porygon-Z.

While there were far less trainers to get through, the fights were longer and thirty-two trainers were cut down to eighteen.

"Wow, she's so beautiful- you're gonna look like that one day, Konane!" Hau exclaimed to the Brionne as he looked upon Michael's Pokemon- a female Primarina named Ria who blushed at the praise.

 _I wonder what Pell will look like once she evolves,_ Asalie wondered before the green-haired boy noticed her.

Hau cheered as they made it through and dragged Asalie over to the vendor- this time to discuss strategy, as the fights were only going to get more intense. They divied up healing items between them, Asalie making sure that he has enough and that he doesn't give her every healing item he has on him.

They switched up the battle items between their teams as well- Liko and Pell are both given Grassium Z, Konane and Kumonga a mystic water, Akela and Bishop a magnet and steel coat respectively and Pele, Ifrit Ruby are given two charcoals and an expert belt respectively- though Ifrit was loathe to give up the red box.

Asalie saw Michael talking lowly to Durandel before he took something dark purple and handed it to the two swords- a moment later, the light of evolution surrounded him and a circle began to form around him. Moments later, the light cleared and revealed Durandel now had a sword and shield form.

 _Oh, that's just great,_ she thought grimly, hoping she wouldn't fight against the blond later.

* * *

The trainers returned and the third round began.

Asalie could feel the intensity of the battle all the more clearly- a rising star named Leilani with a Tirtouga, Tyrunt and Shieldon refused to go down without taking Kumonga and Pell with them before Bishop, Ifrit and Ruby secured their win, barely. Hau barely manages to secure his win over a boy named Hayden with Stuffel, Crabrawler and Machoke with Konane and Akela barely holding up. Even Michael was having a harder time, his Leafeon and Raijin being knocked out before his Primarina and Durandal beat down his opponent's Gravler and Mudsale Number **44** beat down an ace trainer named Yuki with Alolan Marowak and Alolan Sandslash, though the Ariados got some burns on it's body.

Eighteen dropped down to nine and Asalie was dismayed to find she had two matches to fight. Hau did his best to keep her spirits up and made sure she didn't have time to worry with helping her with a strategy but she drew the line at him giving her the rest of his healing supplies.

"You'll be fine- it's just like another double battle!" Hau finally assured her, slapping her on the back before running to get into place.

She smiled weakly but didn't feel as confident- her team was becoming more tired and she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep going at the pace she was on.

"Hey- Asalie, right?"

She turned to see Michael approach her, Raijin out by his side holding a yellow box. "I saw you had a Magmar- do you have a Magmarizer?"

Asalie's eyes flitted to her bag before pulling out the red box she had found on the way back down Hokulani. "Yeah- why?"

"Electabuzz and Magmar can evolve if they're traded holding an Electrizer and Magmarizer respectively- I think this could be beneficial to us both."

"You'd ask me right before we fight?"

"You've seen my team- you can hardly call it unfair. We'd trade right back and with several witnesses so neither of us tries anything."

 _He makes a good point,_ the brunette thought, regardless of the less than stellar impression she had of the boy before her.

Giving Ifrit the Magmarizer a moment later, Asalie sent the trade request to Michael- a moment later, she received Raijin's poke-ball which glowed brightly along with Ifrit's. Both poke-balls burst open as the two Pokemon glowed with the light of evolution, their forms becoming bigger and bulkier.

Then, the light dissipated and the newly evolved Elective and Magmorter let out deep roars that made goosebumps rise on Asalie's skin before she felt the intense heat from Ifrit's body, even from a meter or two away. Michael sent the next trade request and Raijin returned to him and Ifrit to the brunette.

"All right- thanks a lot," the blond said, a smile on his face that made Asalie double take as he left.

 _"When He Smiles", indeed,_ she couldn't help thinking of the trope.

* * *

The fourth round began and the fighting has gotten longer and more heated.

Asalie was pitted against two punks named Yoko and Lane and she barely manages to scrape a win with how ferociously their Pokemon had fought- Krokorok and Pangoro, Electabuzz and Magmar, Milktank and Tauros. Ruby, Kumonga and Bishop were both knocked out, Ifrit and Pell barely conscious at the end of the battle, even with her new power.

Hau barely managed his own win as well, beating a fisherman name Hisato with only Akela standing at the end of his battle- his Gyrados and surprise Milotic had been his only two Pokemon but damned if they weren't strong. Michael's newly evolved Rajin was able to take down their opponent before they brought out a Gabite and then a beautiful Primarina cleaned up. Number **44** beat back a swimmer named Keoni, though Ariados looked noticeably tired.

Nine became four and Asalie would be fighting Michael in the next round while Hau would be fighting number **44** \- just one round left and they'd be able to fight each other!

"Okay, I'll see in a half hour, Asa!" Hau called to her. "Gotta prepare a strategy!"

"Okay! Bye!"

She understood Hau wanted to get his own strategy, so she would get her own- honestly, she was excited to fight him again. Even if she didn't win, she wouldn't lose anything but a battle- if she were to be honest, battling Hau was one of the more enjoyable times for her in her journey so far.

She also caught sight of someone talking lowly to Michael before a look of deep concern and fear crossed his face and he bolted towards the Pokemon Center.

* * *

The fifth round started but Michael was nowhere to be seen. Asalie looked for him in the crowd as she got on the stage and the match was halted as they went to look for him. Finally one of the contestants- the ace trainer who lost to him in the earlier rounds- returned with news on Michael.

"The contestant had a family emergency and took the ride Dragonite to Melemele," she reported.

Ultimately, it was Asalie's win since Michael couldn't show up and the brunette didn't know how to feel about this- it didn't seem right she was advancing when the trainer had to be somewhere else because something happened to his family, especially when he had a stronger team than hers. She didn't have time to dwell on this as they moved right along to the next battle, with Hau and number **44** coming on stage- the former looked excited and the latter's expression was still hidden under their hood.

 _He's used only an Ariados for his battles and he's been lucky he hasn't been up against many flying or fire types,_ she thought before smirking, _the latter of which Hau has._

Hau brought Pele out first while number **44** brought out a large armored beetle with six arms- Asalie briefly remembered the Wimpod that she saw by the Pokemon Center on Route 8 and wondered if this was it's evolution. However when Pell's flame wheel made contact with it, the armored beetle easily parried her blow before bringing down it's other arm with razor shell, knocking her out in a single hit.

"Growlithe is unable to battle! The winner is Golisopod!"

Hau returned Pele before bringing out Akela, now a fluffy and floating Alolan Riachu, out. Her cheeks crackled with electricity as she unleashed a powerful electro ball, forcing the Golisopod back a few steps.

 _She's so much faster than that thing,_ the brunette thought, concerned. _How could electro ball have done so little?_

Her thought was cut off as the Golisopod shot forward and smashed against Aklea- the force of the blow nearly knocked her off the stage but she held on. However, the Golisopod then returned to it's poke-ball and number **44** brought back their Ariados. Akela's paws went to her head as her eyes began to glow blue only for the Ariados to slam into her stomach- a moment later, the Raichu collapsed, out cold.

"Raichu is unable to battle- the winner is Ariados!"

Hau brought her back, expression starting to slacken with worry as he brought in Moke, still snoring. Much to the brunette's surprise, Moke started off with an acrobatics and knocked Ariados back but not before the bug/poison type landed a powerful poison jab on the normal type. The only indication that the poison had knocked Moke out was how he rolled over, breathing slight.

"Komala is unable to battle- the winner is Ariados!"

Hau threw out the next poke-ball almost harshly and Asalie nearly double-took at Liko- now a Lurantis- coming out. _What is he thinking, that thing's got two type advantages over him- even if he's got a super effective move, it won't do as much damage because of Liko's typing!_

As she thought, Liko slashed at the Ariados with Aerial ace with dexterity while trying to either avoid the poison jabs or parry them away. But the grass type couldn't keep the pace with the bug/poison type and a powerful fell stinger smashed him down on the stage, knocking him out.

"Lurantis is unable to battle- the winner is Ariados!"

Her friend's expression was becoming more upset as he looked down at his final poke-ball and brought Konane to the stage. The Brionne cheerily leaped about before he noticed Hau's expression and his own became worried. **"Bwa-?"** he began before Ariados shot towards him.

Luckily, the Brionne danced out of the way with aqua jet- the Ariados looked bewildered at this before trying to lunge at Konane only for him to use aqua jet to dodge once more. Then, Hau's Z-Ring glowed as he crossed his arms to the front before gently waving them to each side and Asalie shivered as adrenaline flooded her.

 _ **"Hydro Vortex!"**_ Hau shouted and the Brionne glowed with pure power as he hurtled a powerful whirpool at Ariados-

\- only for the bug-poison type's eyes to gleam before it dodged so swiftly that it was able to avoid the brunt of the Z-Move. Konane collapsed onto his side, panting harshly while Hau couldn't even keep his eyes on the battlefield before the Ariados used poison jab one more time.

"Brionne is unable to battle- the winner is Ariados and Numer **44** will advance to the final round!"

Number **44** brought the exhausted Ariados back before giving a laughing sneer. "That was pitiful- and you're supposed to be old man Hala's brat?! I've seen Slakoths give more of a fight than that team of rejects you've got under your belt!"

Asalie growled, her hands balling into fists as Hau's expression crumbled further before he got off the stage. She barely paid attention to the announcement of a half hour respite as she tried to go after Hau but the boy was already running to the center, upper expression shadowed.

* * *

HAHAHAHAAAA

Also, "think in melody" referred to Valjean's line "Yours is not a face I'd soon forget" to Javert.

Cameo of Michael Rackate from theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight's fanfic Second Chance.


	25. Chapter 25

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: He does, doesn't he?

TheHolyBlade: Indeed.

Iron-ninja: Having your team curb-stomped right in front of the friend that you've been trying to battle against is never pleasant.

CottonMouth25: You can lose beautifully or win in an ugly manner, but winning is still winning and losing is still losing. More or less quoted by Grimsly back in Gen 5.

Caellach Tiger Eye: Perhaps, but they're not perfect or all-knowing/seeing ^^; Not to mention that the two of them were in this tournament for fun and were only strategizing for when they battle each other- they had such faith in each other's skills that they didn't think they wouldn't be able to face one another in battle.

Everyone's back to that mindset by now and with good reason.

I've been enjoying writing this story for it's dramatic irony- the fact that everyone reading knows what's happening and the characters don't.

As for what Asalie's deal is, I can't delve into it because SPOILERS.

Honestly, Sopohocles is pretty endearing to me, especially with his relationship with Big Mo- Molayne.

Thanks :)

Gigarot: It's not a matter of stupidity, it's not knowing the history between the two and not having the foresight of the readers to know what's happening, not to mention Lusamine having the charisma to needle her way into Asalie's heart. Dramatic Irony.

You'll see how things turn out...

Gigarot (2): I gotcha :)

ShadowMewCynthia: Gotcha- I'll try to keep that in mind.

* * *

The good cheer Asalie had enjoyed was now all but withered away as she stormed down the streets of Malie, her face was set in a furious scowl. Who did that _bastard_ think he was, adding salt on the wound to her friend like that?!

 _I'll kick his ass and make it up to Hau the next time I see him,_ the brunette vowed, fist clenched tightly before taking Rotom-Dex out to go over a battle plan.

 **"Here ya go, toots- anything in mind?"** the electric-ghost type said as they presented an entry on Wimpod and its evolution.

"So far, he's only used bug types, but that Golisopod is obscenely sturdy if it can tank a Raichu's Electro ball when it's a dual water type," the brunette mused before looking over the other entry of the spider Pokemon. "Ariados is ridiculously fast and slippery- it'll take a lot to get in a hit."

 _I've been training with Hau and I've got a good idea of how strong he is- he lost five-zero in the end, meaning I've got an uphill battle ahead of me._

 _But I'll be damned if I don't make at least one of his team faint._

She eventually entered Malie Garden again and checked the clock on Rotom-Dex- there was only fourteen minutes left until the final round and it would take at least five to get back to the center of the city. However the scene in front of her kept her attention: three Team Skull grunts surrounding Kukui by the bridge.

The brunette made it to Kukui's side with Pell and Ifrit out by her side. "Prof-" she began before the man felt up four fingers and declared, "Four turns!"

"Huh?" the three grunts said, confused.

"That's the time it'll take for me to beat you both," the professor reiterated. "In fact, let's make this a battle royal, yeah! You gotta beat the man to BE the man, boys!"

At that, he brought out Masou- now a towering Incineroar- outside and he quickly took a battle stance, looking particularly eager for a fight.

"Y-yo, for real?!" the first exclaimed.

"F-fine, you asked for it!" the second stuttered.

"Let's kick his ass!" the third declared and they brought out a Golbat, Fomantis and Salandit respectively.

They weren't taken down in four turns- they were taken down in three, with Masou grinning in triumph.

 _Huh,_ Asalie thought, wondering if Pell and Ifrit shared her bewildered expression, _looks like he didn't need me after all. Oh geez, I hope the heat from flamethrower didn't burn off my eyebrows-_

"You can beat down three Pokemon at a time now, huh Kukui?"

The brunette froze at the familiar voice and saw number **44** approach Kukui with his hood down and sleeves rolled up, revealing wild white hair, asymmetrical shades, bling around his neck and wrists with tattoos.

"Boss!" the three grunts exclaimed in relief.

Kukui's calm smile never wavered while Asalie's eyes widened and Pell and Ifrit quickly slipped into battle stances- there were few to no doubts to who number **44** was if the grunts were calling him "boss".

"Well well here we are, Kukui- fellow rejects who couldn't captains no matter how hard we tried," number **44** said with a sigh, though his sneering smirk didn't face for an instant. "Brought an' kept down by these moldy old traditions, the kahunas, captains… don'cha you think it's time we cut out all that Tauros-shit and make sumthin' new for ourselves? Trust me, I get it- you want the league for sumthin' new, right?"

He grabbed Kukui by the labcoat and brought him even closer. "Don't get me wrong tho', Kukui- we've don't need no league in Alola, 'cause we know who's the strongest, baddest trainer in all the islands, don't we?"

"Speak for yourself, Guzma," Kukui responded back, calm smile still in place. "It's not that I wasn't able to become a captain- I just chose a different path because I had different dreams, see? It's just like with anyone else."

He removed number **44'** s- or rather Guzma's, hand before continuing, "I wanted to figure out which moves could beat old Hala- and when I found the path that would get me there, I took it."

 _..._

"As for making a Pokemon League, I think it's the best way to see as many trainers and Pokemon like that come together and have a chance to be pushed to their limit! To create the best moves, made when a trainer and Pokemon come together, when trust between them is second nature, when they're in the heat of battle, when it really counts."

 _!_

Asalie stared at the professor with wide eyes as she digested what he said- she still didn't think it was a good idea, as the system Alola was using appealed to her more, but hearing him explain just what he wanted to accomplish put it in a new light.

"Don't you agree, Asalie?" Kukui asked and the brunette blinked as she realized that both Kukui and Guzma were looking at her expectantly.

 _"... what?"_ she got out, confused at what he expected her to say to this.

Guzma cackled at that, head thrown back and everything. "Is this lil' shit one of yours, Kukui?" he wheezed.

"This is Asalie- she moved to Alola recently all the way from Kanto," Kukui said, much to the brunette shock and disbelief. "Discovery, new experiences and adventure- she's been going through all of them ever since she stepped foot here!"

"I can speak for myself, professor," the brunette put in, becoming a little peeved at being talked of when she was _right there_.

"Not only that, but she and her team's been able to unleash from real powerful moves," Kukui went on, expression daring. "You say you're the strongest trainer on these islands- so why don't you put your money where your mouth is, Guzma?"

This was too much and Asalie was already punching the bare-chested man in the arm. "Will you stop speaking for me, dammit?!" she snapped angrily.

"What, are you saying can't beat him?" Kukui asked, smile still present.

 _"Don't change the subject!"_

"So yer th' little hellion who's been messin' with ma crew."

Asalie shouted in surprise as Guzma loomed over her out of nowhere and swiftly backtracked. "Th' brat Gladion talk'd 'bout an' the one who's got my second-in-command still lickin' her wounds," he kept going, head swiveling so Asalie looked him dead in the eye, dark gray into murky gray.

"She's got no one to blame but herself for that," Asalie retorted, fist trembling- whether from anger or fear or both, she didn't know or care.

Guzma's eyes narrowed but didn't comment, instead asking,"Why even bother with th' island challenge, huh? You don't strike me as th' type to battle just to go on a journey, let alone try ta take on a crew as rough as an' tough as mine- what's yer angle, _Asa_?" drawling out her nickname with a sneer.

The brunette was tempted to say that she didn't owe him an explanation, but part of her wasn't satisfied with that. "That's what I'm trying to find out," she finally said aloud.

Guzma laughed and gave a sneering shrug. "Ya don't even know yer doin' it! Guess that's why you an' Hala's brat get 'long so well, huh?"

His comment to Hau made Asalie scowl and she growled, "He's a better trainer than you could ever be."

"Yeah, that's why he lost w'thout takin' down a single one o' ma team, ain't it?"

"That's rich coming from the leader of a pack of morons and thugs who never get _anything done!"_

That got the biggest reaction from Guzma yet and his smirk twisted into a scowl, eyes flashing. His fist twitched and Asalie flinched involuntarily, thinking he would try to punch her- but he stayed his hand and shrugged, calm again. "You can talk all ya want but words don't mean shit if ya can't back 'em up. We'll finish up our talk on th' stage."

With that, he swaggered past her and out the garden, the three grunts following him closely. Once he was gone, Asalie clung onto Kukui's arm, trying to steady herself- she had just trash-talked the boss of the boy who beat her team, the woman who beat _her_ into the ground, and the various thugs who had been harassing her and her friends throughout her entire journey.

 _And now I have to fight him. This evening just keeps getting better._

"You doing okay?" Kukui asked, helping her stand properly again.

Reminded of the man's words earlier, the brunette punched his arm and was too angry to notice the professor had _winced_ at the blow. "Why the hell did you tell him about me?!" she nearly shouted. "Why did you egg him on?!"

"I could ask you the same question," the professor pointed out.

Her expression became even more furious before Kukui held his arms up in defense. "But you're right- I got carried away. I only figured since the two of you were gonna battle, it wouldn't do much to dance around it."

"W-well you didn't need to go spilling my life's story!"

"Sorry, sorry..."

Asalie took a chair to sit down in and Ewa was gracious enough to give the brunette free tea after what happened so she could calm down. But far too soon, the loud speaker called out, **"Our final contestants- number 44 and number 17- please come to the stage!"**

Kukui walked with her over to the stage and gave her a thumbs up before she ascended the stairs and took her place. Guzma took the opposite side, arms crossed and hood covering him like before.

 **"The final-"** the speaker began before Guzma began to laugh loudly to rut them off- the cackles rang across the center, loud, grating and mocking.

"Greetings, cowering public!" he yelled, relishing their startled surprise and fear. "Have we got a show for you tonight! In the blue corner, the little hellion takin' Alola by storm! In the red corner, the hated boss of Team Skull who beats you down and never lets up!"

Asalie's hand was already moving to her poke-balls as Guzma met her eyes. "Hey _Asa,"_ he drawled her nickname again, "wanna see what destruction looks like in human form?

A deranged and cackling sneer spread across his face as his hood went down, revealing his eyes wide and blazing with bloodlust.

"IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT O' YA- _IT'S YA BOY, GUZMA!"_

So startled by the man's bellows, Asalie took the wrong poke-ball and brought out Ruby first. Ariados screeched as it leaped onto Ruby and the Midnight Lycanroc knocked it to the side with her paw, teeth bared in a snarl. Ariados came at her with poison jab so fast, Ruby was barely able to get her arms up in time to shield her chest from the brunt of the blow. She tried to smash down a rock slide on the bug/poison type but Ariados had already shot away from the attack and to the other side of the stage.

Ruby growled in anger before she tried to lunge at the Ariados only for the bug/poison type to use shadow sneak and push her back, then swiftly dodging her blows to attack her unguarded back, knocking her forward. Ruby let out a furious bellow and smashed down rock slide after rock slide to strike the Ariados, but it was simply too fast and continued to dodge and strike Ruby multiple times and then evade her attacks, even using the discarded rocks for cover at times.

This continued for nearly a minute until Ruby let out a blood-curdling scream of rage and lunged at the bug-poison type only to freeze inches away from it's body before collapsing onto the ground, unconscious from the poison that had seeped into her body from her arms.

"Midnight Lycanroc is unable to battle- the winner is Ariados!"

 _That thing's even faster than I remember,_ Asalie thought as she brought back the rock type. _Ruby couldn't land a single hit during this fight at all! If I can't even land a hit-_

After looking her poke-balls and debating, she brought Kumonga out next and the Ariados wasted no time and leaped at Kumonga. The Araquanid looked startled for a split second before firing out a wide-spread scald- if it was moving too fast to attack, she'd attack as much area as she could. However, the bug/poison type quickly changed directions and Kumonga's scald ended up smashing against the rocks, lessening the impact.

 _Oh hell, I forgot about the leftover rocks!_ Asalie paled in realized as she saw the leftover rocks surrounding them.

The Ariados hopped on top of one of the rocks before shooting straight at Kumonga, it's pincers gleaming with poison. The blow hit Kumonga's side and the Araquanid winced at the blow before trying to use scald, only for the Ariados to duck behind the rocks before the water smashed against the debris. The bug/poison type swiftly shot around, using the rocks as cover while Kumonga could barely move his head to fire the scald.

 _This is bad,_ Asalie thought, fist clenched. _How can I deal damage to that thing if it keeps hiding-_

Her thought cut itself off as she looked at the field and where Ariados was jumping between the rocks and how Kumonga's scald hit the debris apart. "Keep using scald- smash away the rocks!" she called out and the Araquanid obeyed, concentrating scald to destroy the rocks.

Soon, the stage was splattered with water and the rocks had been reduced to bits and pieces, leaving no cover for Ariados and plenty of room for Kumonga. The bug/poison type wasted no more time and lunged straight at the Araquanid with shadow sneak. But the water/bug type's head swiveled around and the Ariados became stuck in it, pincers inches away from his face.

The next moment, the Araquanid slammed the Ariados to the ground with leech life. Ariados hissed and tried to scratch at Kumonga's legs and sides but the Araquanid was unmoved, pincers pinning it down before he blasted scald after scald into the Ariados's face. Finally, the bug-poison type stopped thrashing and became still underneath Kumonga.

"Ariados is unable to battle- the winner is Araquanid!" the announcer called out, clearly surprised that the Ariados had been taken out.

 _"Yes!"_ Asalie couldn't help exclaiming outright, fist pumping at her victory involuntarily.

However, her triumph came to a screeching halt when Goliosopod came out so fast, she didn't see the attack that sent Kumonga hurtling right off the stage, crashing behind her with a sickening thud on his back. The Araquanid shuddered for a brief moment before slumping on the ground.

"A-Araquanid is unable to battle!" the announcer rasped in shock. "The winner is Goliosopod!"

Guzma cackled with glee and Asalie brought Kumonga back, nails digging into the skin of her palm. But before she could reach for Bishop's poke-ball, Ifrit was already out of her poke-ball and firing a flame burst at Goliosopod, knocking it back a few steps and the bits of flame barely missed some of audience members while falling on the rest of the stage. Asalie stared in surprise at this, especially at the anger on the Magmorter's expression.

Goliosopod moved to dodge the next attack but to it's shock, Ifrit had aimed right where it had been going towards and the flame burst hit it's chest. Goliosopod hissed at the burning pain but was otherwise unfazed as it began to run at the Magmorter. Ifrit's expression didn't change as she continued to fire at the Goliosopod with the precision of a sniper, forcing it back to avoid her flames and the remains falling on the stage and fizzing out.

Quickly, the water/bug type began to use razor shell to slash apart the flame bursts directed at it and sending the embers flying into the crowd. Ifrit wasn't deterred in the slightest and continued her bombardment. Asalie wondered why the Magmorter wasn't moving as fast as she used to, as Ifrit could fire and run at the same time when she saw that the stage was still damp and covered in rocks, as well as remembering she had only recently evolved.

 **"MAG!"** she bellowed and locked her cannon-like arm back to fire another flame burst only for it to fizzle out and black smoke started to come out of her arm.

 _She's out of flame burst moves-!_

The thought barely left Asalie's head before the Golisopod smashed down a razor shell against Ifrit's back and knocked her forward until she was teetering off the edge of the stage. Goliosopod then sauntered up to her before using the razor shell one last time and the Magmorter fell with a thud onto the ground, unconscious.

"Magmorter is unable to battle- the winner is Goliosopod!" the announcer said, sounding a little upset.

Asalie brought her back and released Bishop onto the stage, the Magneton buzzing with anticipation. Guzma only laughed harder, even as Bishop began a discharge attack. The Goliosopod quickly grabbed some of the larger bits of rocks leftover from Ruby's rock slide and used them to deflect some of the electricity before hurtling the bits of pebbles alight with Ifrit's leftover flames at Bishop.

The rocks stuck to Bishop, between the joints of their three heads and the magnets while the fire scorched their side- they tried to keep up but collapsed underneath the pain of the burns and the weight of the rocks that the water/bug type kept hurtling at them. Goliosopod advanced upon the Magneton and raised it's arms back to deal a razor shell only for Bishop to fire a flash cannon right into it's face, shattering some of the rocks- this however made some of the debris and embers to get into the screws underneath their heads and Bishop screeched at the foreign sensation.

While it scored a direct hit, Goliosopod went right at slashing down razor shell onto Bishop, though a little slower this time- the Magneton tried to unleash another electric attack but whenever they began to build it up, the debris and ashes inside their joints caused them pain and kept them from initiating the attack.

Asalie couldn't breath or think, paralyzed watching the Goliosopod hammer down blow after blow on the Magneton. She wanted to scream at Bishop to attack or at Goliosopod to stop but her throat was closed off and she could only watch as Bishop collapsed on the stage after a full minute of them taking the hits.

"Magneton is unable to battle- the winner is Goliosopod," the announcer got out, voice subdued at the display.

Guzma's grin couldn't be more triumphant as the brunette could only bring back Bishop before turning to her poke-balls- only Pellimore's was left. Her breath came out in shaking and labored inhales and exhales as she brought her starter out.

Pellimore looked back at her trainer to see the other four poke-balls had been used and her gaze hardened as she looked at the Goliosopod. She took to the skies swiftly before Goliosopod could get a hold of her- Guzma didn't look worried in the least as Goliosopod began jab it's pincers in the air to use swords dance and sharply boost it's attack power.

The Dartrix then divebomed the Goliosopod as swiftly as she could, knocking it back with pluck- but the water/bug type quickly caught a hold of her and smashed Pell into the ground with x-scissors before kicking her across the stage when she tried to get back up. Pellimore was barely able to avoid it's next attack as she shakily took to the air again, panting harshly from the pain and the force behind the blow. But Goliosopod only used swords dance again and the Dartrix was already losing altitude.

In that moment of watching her starter struggle so hard to stay in the air and the bulging power from Goliosopod, a horrible realization dawned on Asalie.

 _I'm gonna lose._

She had lost before- she had lost many times before on her journey and one had happened earlier this month with the Ultra Beast. But the thought of losing here made her swell with a foreign fear and rage- was it because of Guzma himself, the fact he was the leader of Team Skull, or was it because he beat Hau and put her friend down? Maybe it was a combination of the aforementioned reasons- but the fear and anger Asalie was feeling made her stomach lurch with nausea, her vision blurry.

 _I'm gonna lose._

Her teeth gritted together tightly, making her jaw ache- a vile, acid taste began to fill her mouth. She tried to will her hand to move to Pellimore's poke-ball to call her back but it was frozen, caked in sweat and shaking harshly. She could only watch as Pellimore began to fly down lower and lower from exhaustion and closer to Goliosopod's reach before closing her eyes tightly, unable to watch what would happen next.

But the next moment, she heard Pelimore give a screech of rage before her wingbeats became stronger- Asalie's eyes opened in time to see the grass owl's body beginning to blaze with blue light as she neared the water-bug type, Golisopod rushing to meet her head on with arms drawn back to create Asalie's astonishment, several dark purple arrows appeared out of the light, pinning and forcing Goliosopod back but not before he smashed x-scissors down on Pell's still alight form.

The two Pokemon skidded to a halt on opposite ends of the stage, panting harshly- the light faded from Pell's form and she now stood at nearly Asalie's height with longer and thinner legs, pale tan plumage beneath the green leafy cloak-like plumage covering her head and shoulders with two criss-crossed orange feathers on the chest.

They stood for just a little under a minute, before they both collapsed onto the stage. Asalie was already running to her starter, uncaring for any rules she might be breaking and knelt by the grass owl. Her dace had become a dark shade of teal with orange circles resembling glasses around her bleary eyes, which were now a fierce amber color. Pell gave a weak but smug smile at seeing her trainer, gently nuzzling her shoulder as Asalie hugged the grass owl to her, tears starting to slide down her face and her nose quickly becoming stuffy from the mucus pileup.

"Golisopod and Dartr- Decidueye, are both unable to battle! The tournament has ended in a draw!" the speaker declared and this brought a slew of worried murmurs and irritated grousing from the people gathered.

"The battle to please our Guardian has ended in a draw?"

"This bodes ill."

"Has this ever happened before?"

"As good a fight it was, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth..."

The brunette paid these no mind as she hugged Pellimore to her, burying her tear-stained face in her plumage- the last thing she wanted was for anyone to see her crying like this. "Thank you, _thank you,"_ she said again and again, voice hoarse

The brunette eventually drew back her head to avoid getting her feathers dirty before wiping at her eyes. Guzma's upper expression was shadowed as he brought back Goliosopod- who on closer inspection, had a nasty looking burn between two of it's pincers.

 _I didn't even notice it until now,_ Asalie realized. _Ifrit must have burned it when it used razor shell-_

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YA, GUZMA?!" said man suddenly bellowed, smacking himself upside the head. "NOW'S S'PPOSED T' BE TH' TIME T' SHOW THIS LIL' SHIT AN' EVERYONE YER SUMTHIN'!"

This made the brunette shout in surprise and recoil back while Pellimore raised a wing between her trainer and the other man. But he calmed down as quickly as he flared up and fixed Asalie with a sneering scowl. "Well, I'll definitely remember ya, _Asa-_ as sum'one who just got skyrocketed t' th' _top o' ma shitlist!"_

With that, he left the stage only for several trainers to quickly block his way with their teams. Guzma sneered at this before he was suddenly yanked up into the air and Asalie's eyes widened as she saw the familiar shape of a Crobat carrying him away into the night.

"Well shoot," Kukui remarked, his smile finally gone but no less calm before turning to Asalie as she returned Pellimore to her poke-ball and hobbled down the stairs.

"I'm ready to sleep for a month," she said with a groan.

* * *

Asalie didn't sleep for a month, but she did sleep until well past noon in the next day. She also realized she had yet to take the _yukata_ off and had gone to sleep still wearing it.

The previous night flooded back to her and the brunette rubbed her temple to ease it- she encountered the friggin' boss of Team Skull and ended their battle in a draw thanks to Pellimore evolving at the last minute. She cleaned herself up and got together her things in an almost haze-like state, braid tied back against her head once more.

 _It barely seems real,_ she thought, pulling on her jeans, a purple tanktop and her jacket and boots. _It sounds like something out of a manga than my life last night._

Asalie came downstairs to find Kukui and Hau both waiting for her. "Yo!" the former greeted her while the latter tried to smile but it eventually slid off his face.

"Morning," she said to them both.

"How're you doing, Asa?" Hau asked, smile strained.

"I got a good night's sleep."

"I should hope so, after last night's battle," Kukui remarked and Asalie noticed that he wasn't smiling. "Asalie, did you notice anything at all last night during your battle?"

The brunette blinked at this. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've seen and heard of you doing amazing battles with your Pokemon against the trial captains and kahunas- but your battle with Guzma was a disaster."

"He's the leader of a group of criminals- of course I wasn't going to win!"

"But that's not the point- it wasn't a disaster because of his strength, it was because you acted incredibly rashly and used your Pokemon's moves poorly."

Asalie froze at this as the black feeling welled within her once more and Kukui continued, "Using powerful moves are well and good, but every time you used a strong move, it ended up hindering your later battles because of how their changed the terrain and because you over-relied on them, they ran out of juice for the moves faster."

Her teeth gritted together and her fist clenched but the professor went on, "Ruby's rock slides gave Ariados cover and high ground while hindering Kumonga's movement, while his scald limited the power of Ifrit's flame burst and hers allowed Goliosopod ammunition along with the debris."

"Guzma might be strong but you were nearly hoisted by your own petard if it weren't for Ifrit's flame body and Pellimore's evolution."

Asali's gaze was on the floor, the black feeling beginning to grow bigger along with a deep sense of shame and Kukui's expression softened. "Don't just rely on the power of a move- use any move to it's full potential," he told her gently.

She forced her head to jerk in a nod, not trusting herself to speak before the professor then dug into his pocket to give her a brilliant green crystal with what looked to be Pellimore's head inscribed on it. "This is for Pell, now that she's a Decidueye. It's Decidium!"

"... it's what now?"

"This will allow your starter to use a special Z-Move that only Decidueye knows when it holds it," Kukui explained before handing a bright crystal to Hau. "And this is Primarium-Z, for Primarina's special Z-Move."

"Thanks professor," Hau said, voice subdued as he took it.

"Thanks again for the mask- I'll make sure it gets to the Royal."

With that, the professor left the two trainers behind. Asalie remembered Hau's loss to Guzma and turned to him. "Do you wanna train later?" she asked.

The green-haired boy's expression was far away as he shrugged.

* * *

This and chapter 24 were originally one chapter before I had to split them up because of the length- I'm rather happy with how this turned out.


	26. Chapter 26

CottonMouth: I guess you could say that even though it ended in a tie, Guzma still didn't stand _a ghost of a chance?_

Decidueye is a super badass evolution, even if it's ghost typing makes zilch sense *^_^*

Totem Satan- I like that.

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: I look forward to someone doing something like that :D

Gigarot: Whatever the reason, her battling was sloppy and could stand for improvement.

As for Team Skull, it's not whether or not they're a big deal in the grand scheme of things, it's what they do that negatively affects Alola and Asalie + Co. Even with Pokemon, she's still fighting a gang with no qualms of fighting dirty and/or are desperate enough to go to great lengths to survive.

Caellach Tiger Eye: Have I said how much I enjoy your reviews? Because I do- I really enjoy reading them.

Considering that he was previously boasting that he was the biggest baddest trainer in all of Alola? Yes, he is that arrogant- also they are his team when you fight him in-game, though their movesets are a bit different.

Yeah, Kukui really doesn't help matters in story or game, so it makes it even more annoying. I mean, it's a given you beat Guzma in-game to advance the plot but still. It is incredibly frustrating to Asalie since she was fighting her hardest and all she's getting for her trouble is a troubled mind and a lecture.

Indeed- what was them trying to have fun became another battle they had to put their all into when they were just trying to relax. Anyone would be frustrated, especially with an opponent who kicks the dog like Guzma did.

I'm not very much up to date on Sun and Moon anime, mainly because of the art style and that Serena won't be joining Ash there ^^;

I shall endeavor to meet your expectations U_U

Iron-ninja: This scenario is why "Hoist by his own petard" was made- and referenced in-story.

* * *

Hau and Asalie both took the day off, though the former made it clear he would like to be alone for the day and so the latter spent hers relaxing as best she could.

"As best she could" being the keywords.

But her mind was still on the battle between her and Guzma, and Kukui's words. It stung hearing him say that she had all but made her chances of winning that much lower and part of her- still seething with that black rage- blamed him for goading Guzma on before their battle.

 _That lack-a-daisy hypocrite,_ she thought often, fist tightening with anger.

Of course he knew the leader of Team Skull and of course they had a history- which would explain why he was so nonchalant around him that night.

Once the day was up, Asalie found Hau training on Route 11 often- since his battle with Guzma, he had been rather quiet. The brunette didn't know if this was because he didn't get a chance to fight or if it was because he hadn't been able to take down even one Pokemon in the fight. Either way, it made her sad to see the normally cheerful boy so subdued.

Asalie followed his example as she brought her team to Route 10, looking them over with pride- Pellimore looked incredible in the peak of her strength as a Decidueye and her new power shone through, though she was still surprised at her dropping the flying type for a new ghost type power.

 _It's not like she did it on purpose- we'll just adjust her moves a bit._

Kumonga, Bishop and Ruby looked upon her with pride while Ifrit looked surly as well, still remembering the loss to Guzma. All five were training harder than ever now and the brunette was as well. It still stung her remembering the professor's words but she knew when she needed to adapt her strategies. From then on, she focused on training their accuracy and how to minimize collateral damage and maximize damage.

One strategy involved Ruby using rock slide but grabbing two of the stones and using them as makeshift daggers while another had Pellimore concentrate her power into a single razor leaf until it had all the speed and power of a bullet. Kumonga was able to narrow his scald attacks until the pressure became enough to slice apart a rock, Ifrit learned to move with her new body as swiftly as she did as a Magmar while still keeping aim with her attacks and Bishop became nimbler and strong enough to withstand fighting with the weights on his body.

A week passed before Hau came down from Hokulani Observatory with Electium-Z in his grasp and a newly evolved Konane, now a Primarina. Asalie offered to take him out to eat to celebrate and he accepted, much to her relief. They went to the same restaurant the brunette had eaten with Lusamine, though they didn't eat in the VIP area but by the stream.

"This tastes delicious!" the green-haired boy exclaimed happily as he ate the mouth-melting mixed vegetables and fish musubis happily.

Asalie smiled at this as she ate her Ninja set- the grilled teriyaki was full of flavor and the right amount of oil drizzled on and the pickled vegetables seasoning provided a refreshing taste between bites. Even though it had ended in a draw, she had still been given a constellation prize of fifty thousand pokeyen for making to the end of the tournament.

 _If I had known just entering the tournament got you money, I would have tried even harder to stay focused,_ she thought as she swallowed down a bit of radish.

"I think we've gotten a lot better since," Hau admitted, smile a little more confidant.

"I can see it- you've all done really well," Asalie agreed.

But the green-haired boy shook his head at her response. "Asa, I know I'm never gonna be the strongest- it doesn't bother me," he told her, smile more gently than sad. "But I don't like seeing my Pokemon hurt- that's what's been driving me to improve."

Asalie blinked at this before her own smile became softer- of course he wasn't sad about losing, he was more concerned for his team and their well-being. Meanwhile, she was bemoaning a draw that only came about because of her mistakes rather than her Pokemon's weakness.

 _Well, better late than never,_ she thought as they ordered castella cake and green tea ice cream for dessert. _I'm doing what I can to improve and so is he- it's all either of us can do._

As they waited, so she pulled out her notebook once more to add new information.

Aether Foundation

Who: Ashwin Nalani/ Dad (Family), Daniel Haines (Friend), Moira Olson (Friend), Branch Chief Faba (Ally), Assistant chief Wicke (Ally) and Lusamine (Ally/friend).

What: Works towards protecting endangered, injured or otherwise inhibited Pokemon, including those harmed by Team Skull.

How: Through money and resources of said group

When: Whenever there is a Pokemon in need and/or where Team Skull shows up.

Why: Does it matter? They're protecting Pokemon and beating down Team Skull.

Asalie smiled as she wrote this down- she felt relieved she wasn't the only one taking Skull seriously and that there were people who'd stop them if it came down to it. It certainly helped that her dad worked for them.

She turned to the section pertaining to Team Skull and went to updating it.

Team Skull Plumeria

Who: Second in command in Team Skull- noticeably more serious and more willing to get her hands dirty.

What: Presumably looks over the grunts (refers to them as "cute, dumb brothers and sisters")

How: Using Pokemon and her fighting skills- previous encounter ended up with several injuries even though team was able to beat hers.

When: When the advantage is hers (presumably).

Why: To ensure "well-being" and protection of grunts (?)

Asalie frowned as she looked at what she wrote- she was still pissed at Plumeria for what happened before, but looking over the facts made it clear that she had done so to try and avenge the grunts she had run into previously. She even called them "her cute, dumb brothers and sisters", like how Astin used to refer to her when they were younger.

 _Doesn't mean I'm gonna forgive her for beating me up any time soon for that, or any of those idiots who started the fights in the first place,_ she thought with a scowl, which only deepened as she continued to write.

Team Skull Guzma

Who: Leader of Team Skull- has a history with Kukui and possibly Molayne.

What: Is in charge of Team Skull and possible linchpin.

How: Through fear and possible physical force, along with incredibly powerful Pokemon (Seems to favor Bug type Pokemon).

When: ?

Why: No clear reason, but could just be a man who likes to cause pain and trouble For the Evulz.

* * *

 _"The hated boss of Team Skull who beats you down and never lets up!"_

* * *

 _There's really little else that gives me a reason to think otherwise,_ Asalie thought as she finished writing this tidbit down.

"You okay there, Asa?" Hau asked, snapping her out of her thoughts as the waiter set down their food.

"Sorry, just thinking- let's eat!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

When they left the restaurant, it was nearing 9 PM and the two trainers were full and satisfied, ready for a long night's sleep.

"Excuse me, Miss Nalani?"

As Hau went upstairs, Asalie went to the Nurse Joy who called for her and was handed two envelopes, one of which she recognized was used for photographs- both sender signs were from Aether Paradise. She quickly dropped her team off to be healed and went to her room to open them up.

The first envelope held a letter which, when unfolded, revealed graceful yet legible writing and a smile spread on her face as she recognized the handwriting from the check and bill when she and Lusamine ate together.

My dear Asalie, I hope you are well.

We are preparing another space for the Ultra Beasts for when we inevitably come across them- if they are like the poor dear that wandered in the last time, we will have to be careful. But I have confidence in my workers and their abilities.

I have heard of the tournament- I'm so relieved that nothing happened when that ruffian showed up and spoiled the festival. But I should have known better not to worry with you there- you've proven your strength already in defending Aether and it's people once before, so battling a petty thug like that is well within your capabilities.

Asalie paused there, torn between the thought that Lusamine had that much faith in her and wondering if she would say such a thing if she knew she had nearly lost and only pulled in a tie because of her mistakes.

I hope that your journey will continue to give you rewarding experiences and fond memories to look back on. But I also must draw attention to something that I believe would help you avoid getting deceived or hurt- do not trust anyone who won't divulge even the simplest of answers to you. If they cannot even look you in the eye- especially if they claim to be your friend- then you are better off staying away from them.

 _Another warning..._

She remembered Lana's advice when she beat the trial about not looking past other's exteriors and trusting that they have their best interests at heart. _Once it a fluke, twice is a pattern- if she thinks it's best..._ Asalie thought with a frown, trying to keep Lillie's behavior from her mind.

I apologize for ending this letter to you on such a dour note, but I know that you'll soon be face-to-face with enriching events and enriching experiences. I look forward to our next meeting.

Sincerely, Lusamine.

P.S: Enclosed in the other envelope is something I believe will make you very happy.

Asalie couldn't help the soft, giddy smile on her face, even though her latest memories of the blonde were tinged with worry from their last encounter. Setting the letter back down, she eagerly opened the next envelope.

* * *

Hau didn't take losses badly. He knew he wouldn't be as strong as _tutu_ \- because no one was as strong as he was- and he knew that there would always be times that he would lose.

Regardless, the loss to Guzma had hurt- he could barely look his team in the eye afterwards. It had only been through Asalie's suggestion that they train together that he had been able to face them properly. But none of them had been angry with him- if anything, they seemed angry at themselves for letting him down.

 _But if we lose, it's because of me. While we win because of their strength,_ he thought. _If I had done more, then they wouldn't have felt such a loss._

But they got better again- soon, they beat Sophocles's trial and got the Electium-Z added to their arsenal. Not only that, but Konane had finally evolved and looked as incredible as that Michael's Primarina had- they were getting better again and they would only keep improving.

 _It's gonna be okay-_

Hau's thought came to a smashing halt when he heard Asalie's scream. In that instant, he tore off the covers, shot out of his room and threw open the door to her room- the brunette was on all fours and throwing up on the floor, eyes wide and terrified.

"Asa! Asa, what's wrong?!" Hau exclaimed, quickly kneeling by her side to put a hand on her back only for her to give another yell and suddenly punched at him.

Hau barely missed the punch, only for it to leave a sizable crack on the floor- his eyes widened as he saw the whites of Asalie's eyes flicker green, teeth drawn back in a snarl that had teeth more canine than human. The next yell sounded more like a dog's snarl as she raised her fist once more before she froze- she wobbled for a moment before slumping against the floor, eyes flickering back to normal before they closed.

The green-haired boy looked up to see two Nurse Joys behind them and Wigglytuff to the side from where it had used sing to put the brunette to sleep. The first Nurse Joy hoisted Asalie up carefully while the second went to check on Hau. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine, really."

"Do you know what happened to make her like this?"

"N-no- I heard her scream and came to check on her..."

Her eyes closed and she took a breath before nodding to him. "We're going to keep a close eye on her tonight- you can return to your room now, or you may stay with her in case she wakes up."

With that, they loaded Asalie onto a stretcher and brought her out of the room. Before he followed them, Hau noticed something beside the vomit on the floor- a photograph.

He picked it up to see the side with writing on it. Aether Research Team, 4/12/5011- the first name had been scribbled out roughly- Lusamine Paradisi, Sophia Wicke, Aristol Faba, Bernadette Faba and Astrid Nalani

He then turned over the photograph to see a much younger Lusamine with undercut bobbed hair was in the picture, though the person whose arm she was holding was scribbled out as well. Beside her was Wicke who looked the same as she did before, with the only difference was she was wearing a white dress and apron, Faba who was wearing glasses instead of his visor and was beet-red beside another woman with long straight red hair and brown eyes with glasses and slightly cocky smile.

And in the center of the photograph, between Wicke and Faba, was a woman with ruffled length bob black hair, freckled bronze skin and the same dark gray eyes as Asalie, mouth stretched in a toothy grin as though there wasn't a trouble in the world.

* * *

Asalie didn't wake up the next day. "She underwent an extreme amount of stress before- we aren't sure what will happen when she wakes up," Nurse Joy told him. "But for now, we're monitoring her condition."

Hau was deeply troubled by this- what could have made Asalie so upset? He took the photograph from his pocket again but there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it.

 _It's got her mom on it and from what Asa's said, she's been "gone" for years,_ he thought. _You'd think she'd be happy to have something of her, so why'd she freak out like that?_

If there was one thing that made this situation a little better, it was that Lillie was finally with Asalie again- even if the latter was unconscious. When she got the news when she came back from the library, the blonde had barely left the brunette's side, even asking Nurse Joy if there was anything she could do to help Asalie.

 _Now if she could just stay when Asa wakes up and they can FINALLY get things straightened out..._

"I know I shouldn't be surprised you're still here, but I am."

Hau stopped at the familiar voice and sure enough, Gladion was leaning against the Center's wall by the corner, Type: Null by his side. "Whoa, he's back!"

"'He' is right here and would prefer if you didn't speak like I'm not right in front of you."

"Right- sorry. Well, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to tell you something important- and you can tell your... _friend_ what I've said too," Gladion said. "But first-"

The blond then grabbed Hau's arm and pulled him behind the corner to the back of the building so no one would see or hear them. "Geez, you've got a grip of iron!" Hau complained, trying to massage his arm.

"Shut up and listen- Team Skull is after a Pokemon called Cosmog."

Hau's eyes widened at this- those weirdos were after Nebby?!

"So, do you or Asalie know anything?" Gladion asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"N-no!" he blurted immediately. "And even if we did, we wouldn't tell you!"

"So you do know something."

The blond's eye closed for a moment as he took a breath and said, "Look, Cosmog doesn't have a lot of power. What it does have is the potential to summon creatures so terrifyingly powerful that not even your most vivid nightmares could conjure them. If something like that were to happen, disaster would fall onto Alola- and possibly the rest of the world."

Hau stared stunned at this before managing to get out, "W-well, what do you expect us to do about it?!"

"You protect it!" Gladion told him sternly. "If you do know where Cosmog is, or if you do find it or anything out, keep it safe- _at all costs!"_

He took another breath and looked aside. "Look I get you don't trust me because I work for Team Skull, and that you have no reason to start trusting me now- but you _need_ to protect Cosmog, _no matter what happens!"_

"But how do Team Skull even know about that kind of Pokemon?"

"... I wish I knew," Gladion admitted, expression in a worried grimace that made him look remarkably like Lillie.

"Wait, whaddya mean 'no matter what'?!" Hau exclaimed. "Are you seriously just going to leave us hanging like this?!"

But Gladion was already walking away, leaving the green-haired boy behind with a mind swirling at the new information- Team Skull was after Nebby, so that meant that Lillie would be in danger too, and if she was in danger, then Asalie wouldn't be far behind.

 _Asa's strong for sure, but she's not all powerful- she could get hurt too, and after what happened last night..._

* * *

 ** _The smell of rotting flesh and something sickly sweet._**

 _Pink hair and marshmallows above her_

 ** _Bellows rattling the glass planes._**

 _Chartreuse green eyes._

 **A twitching, toothy smile.**

 _A soft pressure against her lips and everything disappeared._


	27. Chapter 27

CottonMouth25: Indeed it did. Never stop doing the Jojo poses, Gladion XD

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: DRAMATIC MUSIC

Gigarot: You're not wrong.

* * *

When Asalie came to, her head felt like it had been split open. _Maybe eating all that green tea ice cream was a mistake,_ she thought, hand twitching as she attempted to bring it up to massage her head.

But as her eyes flickered open, the brunette realized she wasn't in her room anymore- rather, it was a clean, white room with a single bed, an IV and a glass panel wall that she could only see her reflection on.

 _How did I get here? And where IS here?_

She pushed herself to sit up and found a small device for calling a nurse and pressed it. About thirty seconds later, Nurse Joy came in with Wigglytuff. "Good morning- or I guess I should say 'afternoon'," she greeted the brunette.

"'After'- what time is it?"

"It's October 1st, 2 o'clock PM."

The brunette's eyes widened in shock. "I've been asleep for two days?! How?!"

"Day and a half actually," Nurse Joy reiterated, eyes flickered before asking, "What do you remember from the previous two nights ago?"

"Me and my friend Hau were celebrating him beating Sophocles and we went out to eat- we came back to the center and I got a letter-"

She stopped talking after that, stunned at the terror that was beginning to well within her as she tried to remember. She tried to ignore it to think back but the harder she tried to remember, the more scared she became.

Just then, Asalie felt something pulse against her skin and she felt herself become calmer and slumped against the pillows. Wigglytuff slowed her heal pulse a bit before the brunette let out a low exhale, calmed.

"From what we've garnered, you had a severe panic attack not long after you returned to the center," Nurse Joy told her gently. "Now do you have a history of attacks similar to that?"

"N-no, this is a first for me."

Nurse Joy continued to ask a few more questions, ending with, "Do you feel well enough to continue on?"

The brunette made herself nod- she had spent more than enough time in Malie and needed to get moving. As she got off the bed, something dropped to the floor and she picked it up, eyes going wide as she recognized it as one of Lillie's handkerchiefs.

"Was a blonde girl here when I was asleep?"

"Oh yes- she had to duck out earlier though."

 _Of course she did,_ the brunette thought, half disappointed, half relieved.

* * *

Even though she felt fine, Asalie wasn't released until nearly two hours of tests. She didn't know why she was being kept back when she felt right as rain but she acclimated it to them wanting to make sure she was fine after the attack.

Hau tackled her into a tight hug that nearly knocked her off her feet when he saw her come to the receptionist's desk. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

The brunette hugged his back before getting her bag back and pocketing the handkerchief by the one Lillie had given her months before and asked, "Do you know where Lillie went?"

"Wait, she wasn't with you when you woke up?"

"No..."

Hau looked disappointed at that. "Really? She wouldn't leave you at all once she saw how you were doing..."

Asalie felt touched and apprehensive at this- she was happy Lillie had come by, but why had she left before seeing if the brunette had woken up?

"If you're looking for the girl who was here before, she departed with Lady Hapu not long ago," the cashier for the mart informed them.

 _'Lady' Hapu?_

"Well, she can't have gone anywhere but forward- the Ruins of Abundance are supposed to be near Tapu Village and the next trial is close by too," Hau tried to reassure her. "We should see her over there soon enough!"

* * *

They left Malie City around 4 o'clock, deciding that they needed to move on as quickly as possible.

They came to the edge of Route 11- where Kai opened up the gate for them and wished them luck- and they came to Route 12. The area reminded Asalie of old Western movies and their rugged landscapes- she hadn't gone through a Ponyta craze but Cece had and she had pulled Asalie into playing horses and buying books and movies centered around the stallions galloping against a desert backdrop.

After nearly an hour of nearly being jostled out of her Musdale's saddle- Ipo, like Hala's Mankey- biting her tongue more than once from the terrain's roughness and having to battle when on the earth-horse's back, Asalie could safely conclude that horse fantasies were indeed overrated and she would be hard pressed to ride through the area a second time.

Tapu Village was located right by the Haina desert but you wouldn't know it from the temperature. While it wasn't snowing, it was raining and Asalie shivered at the cold, harsh wetness. Truth of the matter was Tapu village barely constituted as a village, as Asalie saw only ruins and the single Pokemon Center, as well as a sign towards an abandoned thrift store.

"Hey lookit, Asa!" Hau said, tapping her shoulder just after Ruby beat down a punk's team after trying to pickpocket her and they both looked up.

There were several construction workings around the Pokemon Center and she saw the beginnings of a lift being made. "That's what Professor Kukui was taking about- they're getting ready to make a league!"

Asalie nodded to this, seeing it happen didn't make it feel any less surreal. "Hau, do you think this is a good idea?" she asked.

"Making a league? Yeah, I think it's a great idea! Why do you ask?"

"Well, there's nothing wrong with what Alola has right now- four kahunas, each ruling over their own island, trials that test a trainer as much as their Pokemon..."

"You make it sound like we're gonna re-haul the whole darn thing, Asa," Hau noted. "But all we're doing is adding a league- anyone who clears all the trials can challenge them. We're not taking anything away, we're putting in something that'll make us stronger."

The brunette opened her mouth but closed it again- she knew what Hau was saying made sense and she could see it herself, but it didn't stop it from being any less uncomfortable. "Hau-" she began-

 _Splat_

\- only for a snowball to smash right into her face. She sputtered in surprise as she wiped the stuff from her face and looked around for the source before Hau gave a startled, "Whoa!" as he barely dodged another snowball.

Finally she caught sight of the culprit- a snow white Vulpix with pale blue eyes, snickering from atop part of the entrance stones to Lanakila. It's tails shimmered and Asalie saw ice start to form before the Vulpix's eyes glowed pink and mushed it together to form a snowball before throwing it at them.

Asalie dodged this time and Ruby easily crushed the snowball in her paw. The Vulpix only smiled broadly and hopped down towards them- Ruby slipped into a battle ready stance only for the Vulpix to bounce up to her and nuzzle her side. **"Vi-vi~"**

The Lycanroc's eyes bulged in surprise and confusion at the gesture, unsure of whether to knock the Vulpix backwards or see what happened next. The brunette tried to keep back an amazed snicker. _This is adorable_ and _hilarious!_

Ruby plucked up the Vulpix gingerly by the scruff of it's neck and put it to the side so she could rejoin Asalie only for the Vulpix to follow after her. _Deja vu,_ Asalie couldn't help thinking as she watched this, toying with the heal ball she had found earlier only for the Lycanroc to give her a "don't even think about" look.

"Well, I can't stop them from following us," the brunette said with a shrug, much to Ruby's annoyance before she gave the Vulpix a discreet kick which it dodged with grace before trailing after them through the route.

Asking around, they found out that Acerola would most likely be at Aether House, located on Route 15. Passing by the village, they quickly spotted a pure white and stylish house by the lip of a river. **"If that's not Aether-run, I'll eat my 'dex,"** Rotom-Dex half-joked.

Asalie smiled wryly and followed Hau there- the interior was as clean and stylish as the outside, with an empty receptionist desk and an Oranguru in the back. Her observations came to a halt when someone cried out, _"Yeek!"_

The brunette and green-haired boy looked over to see two small children by the left-side door to the desk. "Strangers! Protect the house!" they both cried and tossed out an Elekid and Magby.

Pellimore and Konane quickly knocked out both Pokemon, barely exhibiting any effort in doing so. However their troubles were far from over when a Yongoose started trying to gnaw on Asalie's leg- on sheer instinct, she tried to kick it off her but the normal type swiftly dodged it.

 **"Grrrsssss!"** it hissed, hackles raised- the Vulpix bristled at the aggression before quickly darting behind the brunette's legs.

"You meanie!" the boy and girl exclaimed in anger, trying to punch her weakly.

"Hey now, I'm sure she didn't mean to do that," Hau placated them, quickly pulling out some malasadas and handing one to Asalie to a pointed look between them and the normal type.

Asalie's eye twitched but she gave the mongoose the treat anyways. The children seemed to calm down after that and quickly ate the rest of the malasadas, much the green-haired boy's disappointment. The Vulpix meanwhile had spat a breath of frigid air at the Yongoose that froze it's mouth shut before it ran in circles, trying to get it to thaw out.

"I'm ba-a-ack, everybody!" Acerola suddenly called out, holding some grocery bags between her arms before the normal type ran into a wall, shattering the ice on it's snout. "Looks like I finished up right on time!"

"You could say that," Hau chirped before Asalie asked, "Where's Lillie?"

"She's and Hapu should be coming along shortly," the trial captain told them and added when she saw Asalie's worried expression, "Hapu's strong- Lillie will be okay."

Asalie remembered Hapu's offer to show Lillie the Ruins of Abundance before at the library, as well as offering to bring _both of them_ there. _Maybe she knows what's going on with Lillie and why she's being so standoffish,_ she thought, trying to keep Lusamine's warning out of mind.

The purple-haired girl set the groceries down, which the children quickly took with them to the back with the Yongoose following, before turning to face the two trainers. "My trial takes place at the abandoned site where the supermarket used to be, just let me get a few things before we leave- though you'll have to go one at a time."

"I can go after Asa," Hau offered. "We can't leave those ankle-biters all alone."

Acerola shrugged at this. "Suit yourself- I'll be a few minutes, Asalie."

"Okay," she nodded before turning back to the Vulpix, who looked at her with a tiny, eager smile. "Stay here- I'll be back soon."

* * *

"They say that Tapu Bulu destroyed the super market in a fit of rage, but that's inaccurate- it's the people who made it that are at fault! I mean, what else did they expect putting a market on sacred ground?!"

Acerola pulled Asalie away from the ranting fisherman and they went down the destroyed boardwalk. According to the old man, Thrift Market had tried expanding into Ula'Ula and build right in Tapu Village- sacred ground right outside of Tapu Bulu's Ruins of Abundance.

It went as well as expected- with protest from those living on Routes 13, 14 and 15 protesting the marketing on sacred ground, to freak storms and tidal waves keeping customers away and destroying the store itself, the cooperation eventually abandoned the building and the entire area around it. Pokemon eventually made the store their home, in particular ghost type Pokemon frequented the area.

"So I decided to put my trial here!" Acerola finished, gesturing through the trial gate and up the makeshift stairs.

"That's pretty ambitious of you," Asalie acknowledged with a nod.

"Aw, thank you! Now come on!"

The purple-haired girl all but dragged the brunette up the stairs and as she went by the trial gate, she got a harsh shiver up her spine. The store itself was rotting away, dust and cobwebs prominent across the windows and the corners of the building.

"All right, time to explain the trial- now you already know there's an abundance of ghost type Pokemon in the store. Now the trial is that you have to find a certain amount of Pokemon, including the totem Pokemon, and snap a picture of them all and bring them back to show me!"

Asalie was pleasantly surprised again- she had been getting better and better with taking pictures and she still sent them over to Kaila, in fact she had been increasing her photos since she made it to Ula'Ula island. _Maybe once this is over I can accompany Lillie there- we can have our talk then_ , Asalie thought hopefully.

"Now don't go thinking this is a cake-walk, now!" Acerola warned with a wagging finger. "The totem is a trickster and likes playing hide-and-seek and messing around, and if you take pictures of the other ghost type Pokemon inside, it'll definitely come out- either to have fun or freak you out!

She looked thoughtful and added with a laugh, "Though it's all the same to them!" before finishing with, "If you see anything strange, chances are it's what you're looking for- now if you give me your Poke-Finder for a moment-"

 **"At yer service, ma'am!"** Rotom-Dex chirped with a bow as Asalie let them out of the bag.

"What a gentle-Pokemon- they're even a ghost type too!"

She fiddled a bit before handing them back Asalie- **"Ooh, that felt nice"** \- and said, "I've set up a special shooting mode made for and only for this trial. Now once you enter the building, the trial will begin proper- you can't catch Pokemon or leave without giving up. So make sure you're ready before going in!"

Asalie nodded and looked over her team- their health was good to go and she already had counters for ghost types in Pell's new ghost typing and spirit shackle move and Ruby and Kumonga's bite attack. Once she double-checked her healing supplies, Asalie went to the door and pushed it open- she shivered at the cold and musty air of the store and stepped inside.

She knew what was coming but it didn't stop her from flinching as the doors slammed shut, the sound echoing across the store. The interior looked like the thrifty market at the Battle Royal, only with no people, no lights, dust and cobwebs in abundance and everything was a mess, products either destroyed, spoiled or taken. Some shelves and boxes had been knocked over to create a path of sorts.

As she passed by one of the checkout counters, Asalie froze as she hears something click- the next moment, the conveyor belt for checkout items started moving all by itself. She swiftly fired up the Poke-Finder and got a picture of a Ghastly cackling above her before it shot down to them.

Pell quickly fired a steel wing at the Ghastly and it knocked it out swiftly- but as soon as the Decidueye did so, Asalie saw something yellow shoot by them. But by the time she turned around, she had lost sight of it.

 _So that's it's game,_ she thought, grip tightening around Pell's poke-ball as she continued forward.

As the brunette went up the next part of the path, she hears something clattering and turned to see a shopping cart rattling against the boxes it was stuck against. This was a harder shot to get as the Haunter kept moving around- she was able to get a clear shot after four tries before it attacked them, though Ruby's bite attack swiftly knocked it out.

As Asalie heard the scampering behind, she turned and tried to get a picture but only got the tip of a yellow tail in the picture- she also got a picture of the Vulpix from before, striking a cute pose.

"Really?" she deadpanned, Ruby staring dumbfounded at the little creature.

The Vulpix's eyes lit up at seeing the Lycanroc and bounced over to her, Ruby growling lowly to send it back but the ice type wasn't fazed. Asalie rubbed at her temple at this, muttering, "I don't know why I thought you'd listen," before stating aloud, "Well, come on then," making the Vulpix trill happily while Ruby sent Asalie a betrayed look.

As they continued on, Asalie noticed that Rotom-Dex was disturbingly quiet and that worried her- usually she could hear them hum in her bag or make snide comments under their breath, but they didn't even do that. The brunette kept wandering down the makeshift path, keeping her eyes peeled as she went by boxes and shelves- just when she was beginning to think that that was the last sign, she saw a Pikachu doll and a Maril doll floating from their basket.

Getting a picture here was much harder- the shadow of the Pokemon moved around so quickly and so suddenly, she nearly ended up using all of the film from the Poke-Finder. She ended up getting the shot of Gengar as it shifted from one shadow to the next completely on accident- and she had to exhaust several of her healing items in the following battle, as the Gengar hit HARD with it's shadow ball. Kumonga took the brunt of the attacks, as he had the highest special defense, protecting the team as Asalie healed them until Ifrit's flamethrower knocked it out.

As she healed them up post-battle, Asalie nearly missed the yellow figure slip past the last path- she shot after it only to come to a double door with chains locked tightly around the handles. But when she stopped in front of the door, the chains slithered off the handles and fell onto the floor with a **clatter.** Asalie opened the door carefully, keeping Ruby and Ifrit at her side while the Vulpix stayed right behind her feet- they came into a tiny room that seemed a break room of sorts with overturned table and chairs, dusty pictures and photographs pinned to the wall and a few cups by them.

The door slammed shut behind them, Asalie flinching at the noise before she felt as though someone was watching them, weighing them. Rotom-Dex started shivering before the Poke-Finder fired up all on it's own and Asalie grabbed it and began scanning the room- she noticed all of the pictures and photographs were of Pikachu in some way. She also heard a soft squeaking inside the room, and it seemed to come behind her.

She turned to the doors but saw nothing and the squeaking continued- looking down, she saw a curious looking creature: a Pikachu cloth over a tiny figure with see-through eyes that looked akin to a Halloween costume. Asalie remembered seeing an article on this Pokemon- Mimikyu, whose true form was unknown and wore costumes to make it resemble popular Pokemon.

"Aw," she couldn't help cooing at the adorable little creature before clicking the picture.

But once she took the photo, the little creature began to phase in and out- even looking exactly like a Pikachu for a few moments- before it gave a bone-chilling cry.

 _ **"Seeeeee meee?!"**_


	28. Chapter 28

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Indeed (Shivers)

Iron-ninja: Indeed- the trial is really creepy :D

Gigarot: Such is the misfortune of miscommunication.

Cottonmouth25: I know, right? I don't get why people in-verse call it ugly. But in all serious, Totem Mimikyu is a BEAST- as this chapter will attest to.

* * *

The entire room went dark before the Totem Pokemon began to flare with dark indigo aura, making adrenaline shoot through Asalie and the grin spread across her face. The Vulpix tried to jump into the fight but the brunette quickly yanked it back and tucked it under one of her arms."Pell, use spi-"

However the Decidueye wasn't even able to get off an attack before Mimikyu landed a blow into her chest, getting a critical hit right off the bat. Pell was smashed across the room with barely any health left before Ifrit leaped onto the field as Mimikyu called forth a Haunter to it's side. The only light now was from Ifrit's flames and Asalie moved exclaimed, "Ifrit, wait! You'll burn the entire room!"

The Magmorter sneered as she stopped mid-attack as her last flamethrower hit the ghost/fairy type- but to her shock and Asalie's dread, it did nothing as Mimikyu's costume took the brunt of the damage before the head of the Pikachu slumped to the side before it shimmered with orange light and Haunter used hypnosis to put her to sleep.

Asalie tried to heal Ifrit but by the time she had pulled a hyper potion and full heal out, Mimikyu had already used shadow claw and landed a critical hit and Haunter used sucker punch, knocking the Magmorter against the wall before she slumped unconscious.

The room went dark again without Ifrit's flames and Asalie tried to reach for her poke-balls only for the Haunter to suddenly lick her from stomach to face, covering her in saliva and knocking her poke-balls to the ground. Kumonga was released when the net ball fell to the ground and Mimikyu was already shooting under his legs and using play rough right at his belly, making him screech in pain. Haunter used hypnosis next but Asalie was ready, swiftly healing the Araquanid only for his health to take a nose dive when Mimikyu attacked him from behind, using play rough on his back and smashing him into the ground with a harsh thud, knocking him out as well.

She sent Bishop out next, shouting, "Light up the room!" and the Magneton sent out a discharge attack that was able to make the lights above flicker back to life, revealing Mimikyu and the Haunter hissing from the exposure. "All right, now use flash cannon!"

Bishop obeyed and sent the beam of white and red light at Mimikyu, only for it to use mimic and sent Ifrit's flamethrower back- the two attacks canceled each other out before Haunter used hypnosis. Bishop barely avoided the attack before firing off another flash cannon and smashing Mimikyu back- however, Haunter's hypnosis put them to sleep and Mimikyu finished them off with another mimicked flamethrower, knocking Bishop out as well.

Asalie paled as she looked at Ruby's poke-ball. She had never taken losses like this before during a battle with Totem Pokemon, save Lana's trial- and the battle with Guzma was still too fresh in her mind.

Mimikyu tried to use play rough but Ruby swiftly dodged the attack before Asalie could shout and smashed a rock slide down on the two Pokemon. Haunter was able to avoid the attack but Mimikyu wasn't, knocking it out just in time for Haunter to use hypnosis to put Ruby to sleep.

She quickly used a full heal in time for Haunter to lick the Lycanroc from chest to face but this allowed her to bite down HARD on it's tongue and keep it in place before knocking it out with rock slide.

"YES!" Asalie yelled, uncaring for the echoes before running over to Ruby and hugging her tightly- Ruby have a weak grin and gently licked her face while the Vulpix bounced up and down before happily nuzzling the Lycanroc and brunette both.

* * *

After she got through the store again, Asalie met Acerola and handed her the pictures. "Ooh, these are pretty good quality," she remarked as she leafed through them. "Have you been taking pictures before?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you got pictures of the available Pokemon- and you got one of Mimikyu as well!" the trial captain chirped. "Considering how hard it is to catch Mimikyu on film, this is a great attempt, so-"

Asalie was already taking out her trainer passport and traded it to Acerola before she was given an indigo crystal with a specter insignia. "All right, here's what you do!"

Acerola handed Asalie back her passport before she crossed her arms like an x then shot them forward- she then crouched down with her hands raised like ears as she crept up and then loomed forward with an adorable cat-like smile.

She then handed Asalie several dusk balls and she put them away. "I'd say it's not a bad idea to have a ghost type on your team but you've already got a Decidueye!"

Asalie chuckled at that before asking, "So, how did you program the Poke-Finder to fire up on it's own?"

Acerola giggled at this. "Hey c'mon now, Asalie- you must know the Poke-Finder doesn't work like that! If you're trying to scare me, you'll have to try harder!"

"But it did- right when we got to the last room, I swear!"

Her giggle became a laugh. "Now I know you're just pulling my leg!" as she looked through the photos. "There's no rooms there besides the store level! I might only be thirteen but I'm not that gullible-" only for her to cut herself off as she came to the last two, her eyes going wide.

"Acerola?" Asalie questioned, confused at her sudden silence.

The purple-haired girl jumped in surprise at being addressed before she gave a nervous laugh. "Whoo! Feels like I got chicken skin!"

"You mean goose bumps?"

The purple haired girl quickly gave a cheery laugh and pocketed the photos. "Well, whatever! Oh, who's this little one?"

Asalie looked down at the Vulpix that had followed them in, where it was trying to nuzzle at Ruby's side while the Lycanroc looked on with a sweatdrop. "They followed us in," she explained.

The trial captain laughed at that. "Wow, you don't even sound surprised- how many of your team members joined you like that?"

The brunette paused and gave thought to this: she and Pell chose one another, Bishop had been watching them ever since they came to the Trainer School, Ruby followed them from Melemele island, Kumonga followed Ruby and Ifrit followed her from Wela Volcano Park-

 _Arceus Almighty, 5/6th of the team's stalked me or my team members before I caught them._

Acerola was already laughing just at Asalie taking pause to think it over. "Usually trainers go after Pokemon, not the other way around!" she wheezed.

The brunette blushed before turning to the Vulpix. "So," she said, "you'd like to join?"

Ruby was already shaking her head but the Vulpix quickly nodded eagerly. Asalie took out a heal ball and tapped it on the Vulpix's nose before it sucked it inside- the Lycanroc gave Asalie an angry scowl and the brunette quickly said, "We'll get them straightened out."

* * *

They walked through Tapu Village and Asalie healed up her team- Pell, Kumonga, Ifrit and Bishop were all rather put off that they had all been defeated by such a tiny Pokemon, Bishop and Ifrit in particular since the former had type advantage and the latter had been beaten soundly in important battles ever since her evolution.

They all had rather... mixed reactions to their new teammate, the Vulpix that Asalie decided to name Titus. Pell welcomed him in as she did all the other Pokemon however reluctantly, Ifrit seemed to find the ice type hilarious, Kumonga was wary of accidentally stepping on him and Bishop didn't seem to know how to deal with him.

More than anything, Asalie had a feeling that they had already established a solid group, one that each Pokemon fit into- she had seen and experienced this in her games, seen it play out in pretty much every movie where there was a newbie in a group. Not to mention Ruby was offput at how the Vulpix seemed to admire her and kept following her like an eager puppy.

 _Well, she knows how it feels to have someone trying to get to her now,_ Asalie couldn't help thinking, remembering how much disdain for the Rockruff she had before- though she had no intention of letting the Vulpix stay if he made her legitimately uncomfortable and she knew that Ruby would let her know such if it happened.

 **"Vi vi~"** Titus trilled as he settled on Asalie's shoulder, similar to how Pell used to roost on her head- his fur felt cool and fresh against her skin, though she had a feeling she'd have to take him off soon-

 _"What do you think you're doing?! Stop it! Stop it right now!"_

Asalie froze at the sound of Lillie's voice and Acerola was already running ahead. A Skull grunt- D- was trying to yank Lillie's bag away from her and the black rage from before welled in Asalie before she let out Ruby. _"Rock slide!"_

The Midnight Lycanroc slammed a Hypno and a Golbat into the ground with rock slide, knocking them both out in one hit. _"FUCK-MUDBRAYS!"_ D shrieked and moved to run away, but Titus surprised Asalie when his eyes glowed with pale pink energy and froze the grunt in place with extrasensory.

"Asalie-!" Lillie exclaimed.

The brunette managed a smile before her eyes traveled over the blonde's form- there was some dirt on her dress and hand imprints on her wrists. The black rage from before swirled at this and she could feel her face twist from the rage as she turned to the grunt, who yelped in fear.

 _"NONONONONO!"_ he shrieked as Asalie grabbed his shirt and started to yank him forward- however, Acerola put a firm hand around her wrist to stop her before turning to the grunt. Asalie tried to get Acerola to let go of her wrist but the shorter girl's grip only tightened.

"Let go!"

"What are you going to do if I obey?"

"Keep him from getting back to his friends!"

"Look I get you're mad he hurt your friend, but murder's hardly-"

 _"You have no idea what-!"_

 _"Both of you, please stop it!"_

The two froze at Lillie's plea and turned back to her- Asalie's eyes widened at the tears that were starting to gather in her eyes as she clutched her bag to her. "Please, stop fighting..."

The black rage didn't leave Asalie but it grew muffled and dull compared to the upset for making the blonde so distressed. She stopped fighting against Acerola and the shorter girl released her wrist in exchange.

"Team Skull is looking for Nebby," Lillie," she told the blonde in a low voice, fist tightening before her other hand gestured to the grunt. "If we let him go, then he'll tell the others where we are."

Lillie's eyes widened in horror and she clutched at the bag as Nebby peeked out and Acerola frowned softly at this. "I see- that certainly changes things," she said. "Assaulting someone without Pokemon is already a crime, but this needs investigation."

Acerola brought out a Drifblim and the ghost type used psychic to drag D out of Titus' extrasensory. "Don't worry- I've got someone who could use this information."

* * *

When she woke up next, Asalie's first thought was wondering how her bed was so soft before remembering.

She and the others had spent the night in Aether House after meeting with Lillie. Hau had been relieved at the news that the grunt had been caught and happy that Asalie had won. He had even made a meal with the two children, Lark and Freesia, and they had all gone to bed with full stomachs.

 _Lillie!_ she remembered that Hau had told her that the blonde had waited for her to wake up before leaving. _Is she still here?!_

Throwing the covers off, Asalie quickly ran through the hallway and to the main room. The sun was slowly coming over the horizon and the clock read six-thirty AM. The brunette froze at this, realizing that it would still be some time until the others would be getting up and slipped on her shoes before heading outside and closing the door as quietly as she could.

 _THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA_

The outside was cold and still damp from the morning dew, both amplified by the mountain just down the route. Asalie shivered and rubbed her arms together- if she hadn't been awake properly before, she was now. But the sight of Lillie- and Nebby from where her bag was unzipped- watching the sun come up by the inlet distracted her from the freezing cold.

She walked as quietly as she could over to the blonde and sat down on the drier sand. Lillie didn't notice her yet but Nebby did. **"Pew! Pew-ew!"** they trilled as they wriggled out of the bag and nuzzled her lap.

Lillie turned and her eyes widened at seeing the brunette. "Oh... hello, Asalie."

Asalie nodded to her with a small, "Hey."

 **"Pe-e-e-w~"** Nebby cooed as they snuggled in Asalie's lap and the brunette smiled faintly at this as she put a hand on their head. "Were you able to enjoy the festival?"

"I got lost a few times but Acerola was kind enough to show me around," the blonde replied, hands clutching at her dress. "I heard that you had a run-in with the leader of Team Skull but you defeated his team."

"Our battle ended in a draw," Asalie reiterated, leaving the reason why out.

"Even still, that's incredible!" Lillie pointed out, smiling a little. "You just keep getting stronger and stronger."

The brunette smiled faintly at the praise- she didn't feel strong still but she hoped her team felt that way.

The next five or so minutes consisted of awkward silence and slight shuffling as the two girl tried to drag it out without addressing the Donphan in the room.

"Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Asalie asked worriedly.

"No- I just wanted to go on a stroll on my own, to see what it must feel like to be a trainer," she said softly. "Hapu and I went our separate ways but Nebby tried to get out of my bag again..."

"Ah," she remarked before Lillie began ruffling through her bag and held up a package to the brunette. "I... I bought this for you, back in Malie City..." she mumbled, face red and expression saddened.

Asalie accepted the package and opened it up- her eyes widened at the sight of five luxury balls. She could never afford the more pricey balls, choosing to stick with the regular poke-balls and the ones she found when walking. "Lillie- thank you so much!" she said with as much feeling as she could.

"Of course- truth be told, I bought them without even thinking!" the blonde admitted, expression sheepish- this made Asalie's smile widen fondly and she realized how much she had missed being able to talk with the blonde.

 _It's okay- she was probably had something going on that she needed to take care of,_ she thought, trying to ignore the budding suspicion and black anger. "So, were you and Hapu able to check out the Ruins of Abundance yet?"

"The sandstorm was too violent to get through at the time, so we decided to wait until it was a bit calmer," Lillie replied.

"Okay... can I still come with? Hapu did offer to take us both."

"Oh-! O-of course. You're not going to wear what you had before, are you?"

The blonde's expression was oddly hopeful as Asalie shook her head. "Nah- skirts are nice but I stuck to shorts and pants for a reason."

 _Lusamine'll understand._

The blonde seemed to perk up at this and said, "Hapu said she'd meet me at Route 13- we can go see her once it becomes lighter!"

* * *

Once it was around eight o'clock, Asalie got her things together and met Lillie to walk down to Route 13. Sure enough, Hapu was there, her Mudsale drinking deeply from the spring. "Good to see you Lillie, Asalie. You didn't run into any trouble while I was gone?"

"It's all right- Asalie and Acerola were able to take of it."

The shorter girl nodded to this and to Asalie. "Was Ipo able to help you?"

"Yeah- thanks for giving me that function, by the way. Also, how do you know her name?"

"How d'ya think I got around the islands the first time around?"

"... fair enough," Asalie decided while Hapu's Mudsale looked decidedly unamused.

The shorter girl nodded mellowly before looking towards the captain's barricade blocking off the Haina Desert. "Let's go see if the storms have calmed down somewhat."

* * *

 _"THIS CAN'T POSSIBLY BE CONSIDERED 'CALM', IN ANY SENSE OF THE WORD!"_ Asalie screamed as she struggled against the wind and sand, the latter finding it's way into her clothes despite her best efforts.

 _"Compared to when we last tried to venture out here, this is far more tolerable!"_ Hapu called back, trying not to elbow Lillie from where she clung to the shorter girl.

Asalie curse was cut short by inhaling sand and she spent the next thirty seconds trying to spit it out before having to stop to catch up to Hapu. Sandstorms had skyrocketed to her most hated weather- at the very least, she had more protection against freezing sleet than millions of tiny grains of sand finding it's way into everything she was wearing and chaffing against her exposed skin that was sure to leave some form of rash!

 _Well, this has been another area that I will never backtrack to, ever!_ Asalie thought with a scowl as she struggled to guide Ipo to follow after Hapu's Mudsale, running into a hiker in the process.

 _"You ladies doin' all right out here?"_ the hiker called over the wind.

 _"We're doing just fine, sir!"_ Hapu called back. _"Yourself?"_

 _"Could be better!"_

Along the way, they ran into a small statue- Asalie recognized the contraption as the same kind of statue that held the Normalium-Z. Hapu held her hand up to stop the brunette and picked up a smooth rock, testing it for a moment before plucking the Z-Crystal out and replacing it with the stone.

"A Z-Crystal, Psychium I'd wager," Hapu said, holding the pink crystal with an eye insignia for them to see before tossing it over to Asalie. "I've already got one."

"Thanks."

As they continued on, Lillie exclaimed, "I see something glinting up ahead! Might it be another Z-Crystal?"

 _Two Z-Crystals in one day- and not given by a trial captain, former or otherwise?_ Asalie thought as she directed Ipo over.

Lillie slid off of Mudsale's back and tried to dig through the sand before her hat was nearly blown away. "No-!" she cried out, trying to run after it.

"Wait, don't!" Asalie shouted but the blonde had already stumbled over a Sandile, who was not at all pleased at being disturbed.

"Mudsale, stomp!" Hapu barked, the ground type quickly stomping down- however, the ground/dark type was far quicker and dodged the blows before ramming right into Hapu's leg.

She jumped to dodge but landed wrong and Asalie heard something snap before Mudsale stomped the Sandile into the ground.

"Are you all right-?" Lillie began before she yanked her hat to her chest to keep it from flying away.

"Really?" Asalie couldn't help snapping at the blonde over Hapu's affirmation. "That hat's caused more trouble than it's worth- why bother holding onto it?!"

Lillie's eyes narrowed in anger and she retorted, "Well how would you like it if your jacket blew away and I snapped at you for trying to get it back?"

The brunette was surprised at this but was too annoyed to care. "I actually need it- a hat is just an accessory!"

"It didn't stop you from grabbing it before!"

"If you two would calm down for a moment," Hapu said as she got between the two of them- she was holding a brilliant blue shard and then handed it to Lillie. "This'll fetch quite a price if you sell it."

Asalie scowled darkly at this and snapped, "Can we just keep going?"

The wind seemed to pick up speed and the brunette growled in discomfort, unable to open her mouth without getting sand stuck in her teeth. When Ipo miss-stepped and landed in a burrow, Asalie was knocked off and nearly landed on her head before rolling down safely.

When she moved to get back up, Asalie found a TM disk half-buried in the sand and quickly put it in her bag before getting back on Ipo. "Where did you go?! We nearly lost you!" Lillie exclaimed when she caught up with them.

"Got in an accident and found a TM-"

"You nearly got lost over a technical machine?!"

"Hey, I found it after nearly landing on my head!"

"This is a desert, you need to be more careful!"

"What did you find, Asalie?" Hapu asked, stopping the argument again.

Asalie took it back out. "'Dream Eater,'" she read before putting it back in. "Well, that's useless- none of my team can learn sleeping moves."

"Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it," Hapu advised.

"Are we any closer to the Ruins?" Lillie nearly snapped.

* * *

The sandstorm was getting worse and Asalie winced at the sand grating against her exposed skin. Even Ipo was having trouble moving forward and Hapu's expression was a determined grimace as she tried to shield Lillie from the worst of the sand.

Eventually, they found an alcove in the quarry and they rested there- Hapu helped Lillie down from her Mudsale while Asalie tried in vain to shake out the sand in her clothes as best she could. "Please tell me we're on the last leg of this trek," they both pleaded with Hapu.

Hapu was about to reply when she froze, eyes staring ahead. "Uh, Hapu-"

She was cut off when the shorter girl grabbed her and Lillie and forced them down front first onto the sand while returning her Mudsale to her poke-ball. The brunette groaned at the taste of sand in her mouth and was about to angrily retort when she felt herself start to shiver.

 _Wait, what? It's not cold, it's not even cool! Why am I-_

Her thought froze mid sentence as she heard something shifting through the sand, no not shifting- _slithering_. She looked over to Hapu, hoping the shorter girl would give them some sort of explanation but Hapu looked incredibly worried. The brunette followed her line of sight and felt any lingering annoyance and confusion vaporize on the spot.

 _Oh this is bad. This is really bad._

A looming serpent-like Pokemon moved through the sand like it was nothing, more than ten feet long and utterly silent save for the shift of sand beneath it's body. She had seen this Pokemon before, in documentaries detailing some of the more dangerous Pokemon in the world. She knew that silhouette belonged to one of the most dangerous poison types in the world and it was slowly but surely making it's way over to them.

 _Wait, it's a poison type. I know damn well that no poison type would ever go near a desert, not with so many ground and/or steel types around,_ she realized before her blood froze. _But that Arbok might not be a poison type- it must be an Alolan form that adapted to the climate. Oh hell- oh fuck-_ we're gonna die out here-

Her thought was yet again interrupted when Asalie saw a familiar looking statue mere meters away. She reached out and tapped Hapu on the shoulder and motioned over to the statue- the shorter girl nodded in affirmation and motioned Lillie over. They began to crawl through the sand as quietly as they could, the brunette fighting back a hiss of pain from the coarseness of the sand.

But their crawl was halted when Asalie's head bumped into something and she stole a look up- a dark indigo creature with blades on it's hands and a head like a shark loomed above them with a fanged grin. Asalie didn't even have time to scream before it's scythe-like arm came down to her head. Luckily, Hapu pushed her out of the way before she was knocked aside harshly.

"Hapu!" Lillie cried in fear and Asalie went to grab Pellimore's poke-ball-

\- before the Gabite was slammed to the side of a beam of indigo energy and was knocked away from Hapu. The brunette whirled around to see the serpent had fired it- it had no irises and it's sclera was light green but she could feel it looking directly at her. This only lasted for a moment before the Gabite gave a bellow and lunged at the serpent.

"Come on, come on!" Asalie gasped out as she pulled Hapu onto her feet and the three girls quickly ran for the Ruins of Abundance.

Like the Ruins of Life, they came a long hallway with red accents along the walls and sand beneath the bridge across that was sliding down like quicksand- there were five large slabs of decorated stones in their way. Asalie couldn't support Hapu's weight for long and the way that the girl's ankle was bending didn't help matters.

"How is it?" Lillie asked worriedly.

"I can't put much weight on it without pain going through my whole leg," Hapu winced as she pulled her Mudsale's poke-ball out- the ground type nuzzled her gently and the girl smiled weakly, "but I can do this."

She took her page rider out- ten minutes later, a Machamp arrived and the black-haired girl requested, "Pipo, see if you can move these stones out of our way, please."

The fighting type nodded and got to work- like before, Asalie could only stare in amazement as Pipo pushed each slab of stone out of their way and eventually made a path for them to follow. They came to the room at the end, where the same kind of alter and dais in the Ruins of Life was with two staircases, a throne and leaves on either side of the red-accented throne.

Like before, there were several pictures depicted on the throne. This one was of a man with curly red hair and beard with nose ring depicted as either lounging about or beside crops and trees. "Kahuna Keanu," Lillie realized, recognizing him from the book.

 **"Pew-ew-ew!"** Nebby trilled happily as they nuzzled the depictions of Keanu.

"So, what does this mean?" Asalie asked.

"... I have no idea," Lillie sighed as Nebby looked at her with a little smile. "I'm sorry, I wish I could understand..."

"Yeah, me too," the brunette spat with more venom than she had meant. "So, when are we leaving? I'd like to get this sand out of my everything sometime soon."

* * *

 _Well, this journeys just full of landmarks- I've never needed more than one shower in a row before, that's for sure,_ the brunette thought darkly as she rubbed the third bit of shampoo into her hair, feeling still more grains of sand.

It turned out that Hapu had twisted her ankle and she would have to lay off it for a few days at least. Regardless, she didn't seem too upset about it and was happy to have helped them out.

Once everyone had been healed up, the two of them made their way back to Aether House. The walk over was even more awkward and Asalie felt frustration and anger bubble alike in her stomach at walking with Lillie- she wanted this to be them trying to get to the bottom of why Lillie had been avoiding her but now she was even more upset than before.

Worse, she knew part of her didn't want to. _I did nothing wrong,_ she thought bitterly. _I didn't hurt her, I didn't insult her, yet-_

The black anger pooled in her stomach the further they walked before making it to the house. The door was open and Asalie spotted Acerola running inside- the two ran to Aether house to find the inside ransacked and in jumbles. Lark and Freesia were huddled in a corner, the Oranguru laid in a heap covered in bruises and the Yongoose twitched on the floor weakly.

Acerola was by the children's sides, trying to comfort them the best she could. "Shh, it's okay now- I'm here," she murmured gently to them.

After a few minutes, they calmed down just enough so that they were coherent. "What happened here?" Lillie asked.

"Th-these jerks with hankies over their faces-" Freesia hiccuped before sobbing even harder.

"Th-they took him!" Lark cried out. "They took big bro Hau!"

* * *

That Mimikyu fight was as brutal as it was typed out- that little creature caused me more trouble than any other totem and a hell of a lot more trouble than Guzma's battle did in-game.

I think it would have been a lot scarier if Team Skull took the two kids as hostages- but it would have freaked moral guardians out. Either way, I think they missed an opportunity there.

Also, guess who just saw the new Power Rangers movie? This fanfiction writer right here! It was absolutely amazing and I would recommend anyone to see it, whether you've seen the series before or not.


	29. Chapter 29

CottonMouth: I went in cautiously optimistic and was utterly blown away :D

Gigarot: I like male Alolan Vulpix slightly more than female Alolan Vuplix. Don't ask me why, it's just a preference.

(Gollom's voice) **You will see~ Oh, yes~ You WILL see...** (Has this been milked enough yet, or has it been long enough that I can refresh this gag?)

Indeed- see author's note once more.

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Indeed.

Guest: I know, right?!

And thank you :)

18Gs: Thank you on both accounts, I do my best.

Iron-Ninja: I dunno about this "Hou" but they definitely took Hau.

(Eyes popcorn with live action disney film that did okay) I'll have a bit, but I prefer waffle fries.

* * *

One of the blows that Plumeria had used that especially hurt the brunette was a punch to the gut that drove the air out of her lungs- now, Asalie was experiencing the same sensation with the news that the children had delivered.

 _Hau- they_ took _Hau- they_ took my friend-

They started crying again but Acerola coaxed an explanation from them as best she could- a woman in makeup whom Asalie could only assume was Plumeria, along with two grunts, came in and ransacked the place. When Hau tried to make them leave, Plumeria beat his team and then the two grunts took his Pokemon and him away. Further investigation found a note on the Oranguru's bruised body:

Asalie Nalani

If you want to see your friend again, come to Po Town to meet the boss- alone.

Asalie's entire body went cold as she read the letter again- it wasn't just her friend being captured that made her feel like throwing up her intestines, it was the fact that Team Skull _knew her full name._

 _How?! Gladion can't have told him, he only knew my first name- how would he have known my last name?!_

Acerola took it from her shaking hands to give it a look-see. "Team Skull took over Po Town some months ago- it's practically their playground now," she said with an upset grimace. "Those numskulls actually did something clever- and despicable- for once, it seems."

"B-but, what happens if miss goes there all alone?" Lark asked fearfully.

"It'd gonna be okay- we've got some people by Po Town that can help you if things go south," Acerola told Asalie. "One of them lives right by Po Town and is usually the one to put a stop to their shenanigans over there."

Asalie stared dumbfounded at this, though the fact that she wouldn't be completely on her own was comforting to say the least. She looked at her team's poke-balls before Acerola added, "Mind if I see your page rider for a second?"

She handed it to the purple-haired girl and she typed for a few seconds before handing it back to the brunette, who was less than pleased to see an option for _freaking Sharpedo_ now on the device.

"Don't worry- they've been trained not to harm those they're trying to ferry," Acerola assured her. "You can use them to break apart rocks in your way on the water and they're definitely faster than Lapras."

 _"... thanks,"_ Asalie deadpanned.

"Um, miss...?"

The brunette turned to the children and they held up a max potion and rare candy to her. "P-please- please get big bro back!" Freesia pleaded.

She nodded to the girl in affirmation and thanks as she accepted the two items, though she still felt like she was going to throw up. "The sand bar to Route 17 is just up ahead," Acerola told her. "I need to make sure nothing happens here-" her voice faltered, "They were pretty smart to attack when I was gone..."

The purple-haired hugged the children tightly to her and they in turn clung onto her dress- she was shaking, struggling to hold back tears. Asalie spared her a solemn glance before going outside the house and looking towards the sandy lagoon yards away- the air began to smell sweet as dark gray clouds were beginning to settle and she heard a faint rumble of thunder in the distance.

The nausea was beginning to get worse and Asalie ran to the grass by a rotting stump and emptied out the contents in her stomach, the acid bitter taste making tears bead her eyes. Even when there was nothing left to throw up, her stomach refused to settle and she dry heaved, trying to eject nothing. Finally, her stomach calmed but her nerves were shot to hell and back at this point.

 _Hau is in trouble- and I'm one of the only ones who can help him._

The thought was terrifying in of itself, that Team Skull would go so far as to kidnap someone and lure a single person to their home turf. Asalie clutched at her stomach, empty and cold with fear, as she hunched over on her knees. No matter how she willed herself, the brunette couldn't rise, she was frozen on the ground.

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and finally looked up- Lillie was standing over her with a worried expression and a beckoning hand. She shakily accepted it and the blonde pulled her back onto her feet. Even though they felt like lead and as unsteady, Asalie didn't fall back down. Lillie rifled through her bag before pulling out a few revives and max revives, as well as containers that Asalie realized were full restores (she had only seen them advertised on TV). She was also reminded of how tall Lillie was compared to her, not to mention the angle their faces were in kept their faces centimeters apart.

"I'm sorry- I wish I could do more..." the blonde trailed off, unable to meet her eyes even with them so close together.

At one point in time, she would have told her that this was enough and that she would be find- now, she wanted to protest, wanted to scream at her for not doing more to help her, for not even offering to get help, wanted to scream in frustration at the entire situation-

Before something clicked into place- a thought that made too much sense for it not to be a fact.

"You know something."

Her voice was soft and almost child-like but the effect had Lillie flinching and not denying it. "You know something about this- about all this," Asalie kept going, eyes wide.

"Asalie-"

 _"And you- you did nothing,"_ her voice was becoming more high-pitched, the black rage building in her belly. _"You didn't even bother to tell anyone who could have done something._

 **"Pew..."** Nebby murmured worriedly as Lillie stuttered in fear, "That's not- you don't understand-"

That was the straw that broke the Numel's back and Asalie's expression became contorted with rage. "AND WHOSE FAULT DO YOU THINK THAT IS?!" she screamed at Lillie, causing the blonde to recoil. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HURT YOU! I KNOW I DIDN'T! BUT YOU WON'T EVEN EXPLAIN WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON! YOU WON'T EVEN EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

Her voice cracked from the volume and became quieter but no less upset. "I wanted to believe you- I wanted to believe you so badly. You had your secrets and so did I- I never told you everything about me and neither did you, and I accepted that."

The brunette's fists clenched as Lana lesson and Lusamine's warning blared in her mind. "But now I know that blindly trusting you was a mistake."

"No... Asalie, please..." Lillie begged softly, reaching for her only for her slap the blonde's hand away as lightning struck.

"I'm going to save Hau- _don't you dare get in my way,"_ she spat and ran for the sandbar as the rain came down in earnest- the thunder kept her from hearing the blonde's sobs.

* * *

 **"Grr..."**

The Sharpedo was as tame as Acerola had promised it would be, not attempting to eat her once through the route. The impact with the boulders in their way nearly jolted Asalie off but she kept a firm and close grip to the water/dark shark- firm and hard enough that she felt her skin break open and bleed from clutching it's rough hide.

 **"Vi?"** Titus murmured from her shoulder, expression worried but Asalie ignored him.

Touching down on the opposite side of the shore, there was a Pokemon Center and Asalie jumped off into the shallow end, not bothering to get closer to the sand. Her hands stung from clutching them but she paid them no heed as she looked to the entrance through Ula'Ula's meadows before her. Red flowers brought a sweet and almost spicy scent through her nostrils.

"Man oh man, are you really not gonna tend to those? Injured palms make throwing poke-balls an absolute bitch."

The brunette turned to a lanky and pale man with dark blue eyes, strange black hair and white kimono with a black scarf and umbrella standing by the center- Titus sniffed at the man before blinking, confused at his scent. "C'mon," he drawled, easy-going smile making her nerves grate. "Are you really gonna risk losing an upcoming battle 'cause of those?"

The actual cleaning, appointing aloe and bandaging of her hands didn't take that long but the brunette's glower and black rage only became darker as time went on. "Well, that's done," the man nodded before asking, "So where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"None of your business," Asalie spat as she went into the Ula'Ula meadows- it was simply a wooden pathway through the red flowers but the rain was making it hard to navigate in the darkness.

"Well, you're not stopping to take care of your injuries even with a Pokemon Center in front of you, you're too 'cheerful' not to be heading for a fight and Team Skull's hideout is all that's up ahead," the man deduced with a light tone as he followed her. "The only ones who willingly head that way are looking for trouble- only question is what kind of trouble?"

Asalie didn't answer but kept going forward, ignoring the man the best she could. She tried not to think about what had happened earlier but she was equally torn between curling into a ball and crying, and screaming in rage and wrecking anything in her path- and she could barely keep from doing either.

 _How could I be so stupid?!_ she kept thinking, teeth gnashing together hard enough to cause her jaw pain.

Lusamine's warning and Lana's advice were both set in her mind now and she wished she had listened to them before, so that the only one she had truly opened herself up to would be her father, Astin and Cece.

 _There's nothing I can do now,_ she thought in equal parts despair and black anger, gaze hardening, _but rescue Hau and make those fuckers_ pay-

"- planning on making Murkrow catch it mid-air, and that's that's how I learned psychics really do exist-"

"WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!" Asalie yelled at him, having it up to here with the lanky man.

"To kill time- I've got nothing else better to do," the man shrugged before quickly closing the distance between them and murmured, "Also you're being tailed right now."

The brunette's eyes narrowed as she reached for her poke-balls, hissing softly at the contact making fire go up her arm. "Shut up," she growled at the man, who shrugged as he toyed with his own poke-ball.

As they neared the end of the path, the man's eyes flickered to hers and she looked back to see the flowers rustling. She set a hand on the Vukpix's head to keep from jumping off before she threw out Kumonga and Ruby at once, barking, "Stone edge, scald!"

As the Araquanid spewed the scalding hot water where the rustling was, the creature leaped into the air. Ruby summoned the stalactites and grabbed the two sharpest before leaping at it- only to abort the attack and land in front of said creature... that was the serpent that had been in Haina Desert not more than an hour or so ago. "Wha- How-?!" the brunette gaped before turning to her teammates. "What are you two-?!"

For Kumonga and Ruby both had approached the serpent and were talking excitedly to it. "Huh- looks like they know one another," the man remarked.

 _"HOW?!"_

The rock and bug/water type then went back over to Asalie with the serpent following at a more sedate pace and the brunette paled at how it loomed above them both, Titus growling softly from her shoulder. As she looked the two for answers, Ruby and Kumonga began to scrape the dirk beneath them to form a crudely drawn picture of the serpent before them.

* * *

 _"Did you two rescue me?" she asked._

 _The Rockruff and Dewpider looked at each other and to Asalie's surprise, shook their heads. Then the Dewpider grabbed a stick and began drawing in the mud- from what little she could interpret, some kind of snake thing had yanked her out and the Rockruff had found her before asking the Dewpider for help._

* * *

Dark gray eyes stared dumbfounded at the picture as the memory came to her before looking back and forth between it and the serpent. "They- they're really the one who helped me?" she asked the two and Ruby and Kumonga both nodded.

"Oh, so you two know each other then?" the man assumed, looking between the two of them. "You make pretty unusual friends, don't you?"

The serpent seemed to smile- if serpents could smile- and gently inclined their head to Asalie, almost nuzzling her hair. Taken back by the gesture, the brunette dodged their snout- she looked closely at the serpent and brought out Rotom-Dex.

 **"Zygarde- the Order Pokemon,"** Rotom-Dex announced, sounding legitimately stunned and confused. **_" **Bu** t this makes absolutely no sense!"_**

"Why not?"

"It comes from the Kalos region, and it only shows itself when the ecosystem in danger," the man said, expression serious. "So why would it show up so far from it's native region?"

The serpent- Zygarde- only looked intently at Asalie before their eyes fell on her hands. They lowered their hand and a jet black tongue came out and gently licked the bandages. It felt smooth and left no moisture and when she withdrew them from their mouth, Asalie felt much of the burning pain leave. She pulled the bandages off and saw the scratches had healed as though weeks had passed since.

"Well, I'll be," the man remarked before adding, "This doesn't give an excuse to acting sloppy now."

Asalie didn't bother to reply to that. "Thank you," she said to Zygarde as Titus nuzzled them in thanks. "Are you going to keep following me?"

Zygarde nodded immediately to this and the brunette sighed. "I'm going to be fighting a lot of people- and I can't catch you."

Titus' cheer cut short at this but the Order Pokemon didn't seem too upset and only nuzzled at her hair again, this time hitting the mark. Asalie didn't know how to feel about a Legendary Pokemon trying to bop her head affectionately- which reminded her of how Astin would bop her head when they were younger- but she was happy to have some backup.

 _Wait, didn't Acerola say there'd be someone to help me get to Po Town?_ she thought, remembering the purple-haired girl's words before looking back at the lanky man. _But I have no way of knowing without giving away too much info- he hasn't tried to stop me, but then again..._

Once she reached the end of the meadow, Asalie, Zygarde and the lanky man came to Route 17- enormous walls lined across the cliff side and across the route and an abandoned police station near the walls and several Team Skull grunts littered across the route.

 _Can we take on that many grunts?_ Asalie wondered, looking at her poke-balls and the two who tagged along- they might be strong but Team Skull had the advantage in numbers and all it would take to turn the tide is if they were separated from their Pokemon...

Asalie's hand came to the part of her throat that had had Fomantis's leafy blade against it. She shook her head harshly to rid herself of the memory in order to focus. She had taken on at least two grunts at a time before- but from the looks of it, there were at least ten of them littered around the route by the grass, the rockier inclines and by what appeared to be the town gates.

She scurried from behind the trees to behind a lamp post while the lanky man easily slipped into the shadow of the tree while Zygarde slithered through the tall grass, almost indistinguishable. She looked around to see if any of them were spotted but it looked like they were in the clear- even better, the one grunt that could have seen them was fast asleep behind the crates by the police station.

The rain was beginning to come down harder and Asalie winced as she tried to clear the liquid from her eyes- she shivered at the cold and hugged at her jacket's sleeves to make them longer and tried to shield her bag from the worst of the rain. The lanky man motioned them forward while the Zygarde slithered towards the end of the route towards the berry trees. Once she was certain she wouldn't be spotted, Asalie bolted to the building and slammed the door behind ther as quickly as possible.

"You know breaking and entering can get you over a year in jail, girl."

Asalie flinched at the voice and turned around- an older man with black pants, sandals, red shirt and gray short-sleeved jacket with tired looking red eyes and light gray hair was sitting before a coffee table with a camping lantern and a bowl of instant ramen before him. There were also no less than eight Alolan Meowths snuggled against him, said eighth cat Pokemon fast asleep on his head.

"I- sorry," the brunette apologized. "I didn't think anybody's be in here-"

"No one does, not since Team Skull took over the town," the man went on. "Tho' this works for me, since the rent's dirt cheap. So, what're you trying to get into Po Town for?"

"Shouldn't Acerola have told you already?" the lanky man asked, much to Asalie's surprise, as he twiddled a cellphone in his hand behind her from where he entered.

The man blinked and rubbed at his temple, briefly jostling the Meowth. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Grimsley?" he asked/ groaned in exasperation.

"I was in the neighborhood before my cute little cousin sent me a call asking me to get my butt to Po Town to help great Uncle Nanu and a trial goer," he replied, sending Asalie a little smile.

 _She sent help- these two are going to help me,_ the brunette thought, relief flooding through her before annoyance set in.

"You could have told me Acerola asked you to help me!" she snapped at Grimsley. "There wasn't any reason for you not to tell me!"

"Eh, it was fun watching you get annoyed."

 _"You sunnova-"_

"Right right, break it up or I _actually will_ arrest you both," Nanu deadpanned, voice sounding legitimately serious cutting both off before turning the brunette. "So, you wanna get into Po Town, right? Plenty of people've come here and they've either become Team Skull or got their remains sent home by yours truly."

His expression didn't change but Asalie could feel his gaze pierce her in places that she didn't think could be breached. " _You really think you're ready for that?"_

"It doesn't matter if I'm not ready- I need to get in there," Asalie said, fists tightening as she tried to force herself to calm down.

The man shrugged at this. "I guess everyone has their own reasons- so don't think I don't have my own for what I do. And if shit does hit the fan, I'll make sure your remains return home."

* * *

In the end, the three of them were able to devise a pretty good plan. Grimsley would go into Po Town and cause enough chaos so Asalie and Zygarde could slip past them unnoticed while Nanu- Officer Nanu- would help clean up.

As they prepared to exit the building- the rain had only become stronger- Officer Nanu looked around and noted, "Still, looking around, there're fewer Team Skull folks around here than usual."

"This is 'fewer'?" Asalie questioned in disbelief before Grimsley made a shooing motion with his hand. "Get into hiding- wouldn't want them to find you here, right?"

She scowled a little and asked sarcastically, "Anything else I need to do?"

Officer Nanu nodded before taking Asalie's hand and put in a heavy black key and leaned down to mutter, "Try not to trash the place too much."

 _Thanks for the concern,_ the brunette thought bitterly as Officer Nanu went on his way before she heard him one last time.

 _"Pokemon tucked up in their poke-balls, Team Skull locked up in their little town... I wonder if either enjoys the experience?"_

 _What does he mean by that?_ she wondered but conceded, slipping into the tall grass- Zygarde slithered to her side a moment later as they watched Grimsley walk up the path. Two grunts- E and F, she recognized the two from before- were both huddling under a berry tree before they saw the lanky man.

As Grimsley continued to saunter, he was quickly surrounded by the grunts on the route. "Yo, hold up!" E ordered. "Who th' hell are you?"

"What, a man can't take a long, enthusiastic walk through nature?" he asked, shrugging casually.

"This is our turf, ya bastard!" F barked. "Ya don't come waltzin' up ta Po Town unless ya wanna join or get sent home in a body bag!"

Grimsley cocked his head to the side as his hand rested against his chin. "Hmm, either join or die... how's about a third option?"

He then let out a Krookidile, Drapion and a Honchkrow out and the three let out a roar, bellow and screech respectively that caused the grunts to either fall over or cover their ears. "Oh, now you've gone and done it!" F yelled as he let out a Golbat and Pancham.

"Let's kick his ass!" E shouted as she let out a Lurantis and Araidos and the rest of the grunts followed suit with Raticates, Golbat and others.

Grimsley didn't bat an eyelash to this and Asalie concluded that she wasn't going to try challenging him to a fight anytime soon as she ran to the gate and unlocked it. Officer Nanu's words were still with her and she didn't understand them- until the gate opened up with a **clang!**

* * *

Grimsley, what're you doing? You're only supposed to be a cameo ^^;

Oh hai, Zygarde

Also, Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast? I liked it all right- especially Lefou's character development- but... it's okay. Just... okay. I liked some parts, thought others could be better. Also they hyped up all the gay... and then displayed exactly two seconds of it during the movie.

(Shakes head) Words. I do not have them.


	30. Chapter 30

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: ... okay, that is hilarious XD

CottonMouth25: Wonder what his deal was in-game?

Gotcha- went back and edited it's name proper.

Gigarot: Nanu will get plenty of time to shine- I never even had Grimsley show up in the rough draft and somehow he ended up in the story!

Iron-ninja: Well, then I did my job.

Also you can reconstruct Zygarde on Route 16 depending on how many cells you gather.

* * *

Asalie didn't what she was expecting when she opened the gate door up.

Before her was greeted to a dismal mess of a town, covered in graffiti, trash littering the streets and several captain's barricades set up down the main street. The houses were dark and starting to fall apart and the windows were almost all smashed in. It was dark, cramped and utterly miserable. The brunette stared with wide eyes at the scene before her before remembered she was completely exposed in a criminal's hideout and she quickly ducked behind the bushes near the Pokemon Center, Zygarde stealthily slipping over her.

"Huh?" one of the grunts by the barricade looked up and Asalie stiffened underneath the bush before the Order Pokemon swiftly moved over her figure to shield the brunette.

"Yo, what's up?" his friend asked.

"Coulda sworn I saw sumthin'."

"Forget about it- we've got this Barbacle- er, barricade up! Do you really wanna bother moving it out of the way just 'cause you thought you saw sumthin'?"

"True, true..."

Asalie breathed a sigh of relief before she heard a snuffling noise- she looked down to see Titus sniffing at something in the leaves and then chomped down on it. "Titus, spit that out! she hissed to him. "You have no idea where that's been-"

Her warning was cut off as the Vulpix began to glow brilliant blue and grow taller. She tackled him behind the hedge just before anyone had a chance to see them and when the light died down, Titus' form was now taller, more graceful and so _ethereal_ \- even in the rain- that he seemed to _glow._ Asalie was at a loss for words while the Order Pokemon nudged at her- she glanced down to see a pale blue almost white stone, in pieces beneath the leaves and saw the shattered insignia of a snowflake on it.

 _I don't know how that got here, but I'm not complaining,_ she thought as she hugged Titus gently, a little sad that his evolution couldn't be celebrated properly at the moment.

After ruffling Titus' fur one last time, Asalie examined the Pokemon Center by them- the windows weren't smashed in, though that was because of the reinforced glass, but the lights were off and it was covered in Skull graffiti as well. She was starting to shiver again from the cold rain her hands were shaking as she checked her poke-balls once more.

Since the beginning of her journey, Asalie had quickly learned to associate Pokemon Centers as places of safety and comfort. Even with the graffiti all over it and the lights off inside enemy territory, it still beckoned her to go inside if only to escape the rain. Titus stared longingly at the building while the Order Pokemon peeked through the windows briefly, eyes softening just the slightest.

"Come on- we gotta keep moving," Asalie murmured to them gently and the two followed her reluctantly.

The rest of the town looked more and more miserable the further Asalie went in- debris littered the streets, doors were knocked off their hinges and she hoped that whatever she was smelling was just rotten food. She ducked behind a rotting hedge and took another look around- there was a pick-up truck in the middle of the road and a gateway to another house across the street.

At the back of the town, she saw an enormous mansion that seemed more broken down than any other house there. _That must be their main headquarters,_ she thought, grip tightening on her bag strap. _Hang on, Hau!_

* * *

Nothing much happened in Po Town- with no electricity and no place to go, those of Team Skull usually loitered around either standing guard when they could be bothered, playing cards or anything that could stave off their boredom and because of how well-fortified the town was, intruders were few and far between.

No one noticed Asalie have Titus use extrasensory on a grunt, drag him behind the hedge and strip them of their uniform before the psychic energy knocked them out. Asalie walked about, trying to look as natural as possible and made her way into the mansion and Zygarde slithered through the hedges, watching her closely. Inside, she saw several grunts were laying around, most clutching blankets and patched up jackets to stave off the cold.

 _..._

Asalie ultimately paid no mind to this and crept through the house as naturally and best she could, trying to find Hau- she found a room with the beds bunched together where a grunt was surrounded by Pokemon sleeping by him in a pile, another room that had a fireplace and connected to a completely empty pantry and a surprising well-kept room with several things of makeup.

 _Come on, where is he?_ Asalie thought, becoming more and more worried as the grunts gave her an odd look. _There aren't many rooms left to check and they're becoming suspicious..._

"- cool! Thanks a lot!" Hau's voice came faintly from across the hall.

Asalie began to make a dash for it before a grunt got right in her way. "Yo, you've been walkin' all 'round th' crib but I KNOW I ain't seen you b'fore!" he barked, jabbing his finger on her chest.

The brunette froze, trying to speak but her voice failed her- what could she say to get him off her back?!

"Aw don't be so paranoid, H!" a female grunt called from across. "Prob'ly a new recruit- they're always fun t' have 'round!"

"C'min 'ere, sweetie!" another female grunt called and Asalie briefly saw a hand motion from one of the doors.

Asalie took this invitation and swiftly went around the grunt and to the room before slamming it shut, trying to catch her breath. _Okay okay, there're two grunts in here, guarding Hau,_ she thought quickly. _I can beat them both down without too much of a hassle- Titus' extrasensory is an Arceus-send- and then I can get Hau out of-_

"Ya look like ya just robbed a bank or sumthin'- chillax, won'tcha?"

The brunette turned around slowly, hand reaching for the Ninetales' poke-ball- only for her eyes to widen and her mouth to drop almost past her mask.

At the foot of several beds, Hau was sitting with the two female grunts in the middle of a braid train, his normal hair now in several dreadlocks while he pulled two braids back to make a bun.

"Ooh, this looks nice!" the first female grunt Hau was braiding said as she looked at her bun in the reflection of a discarded window.

"Thanks, J- _tutu_ taught me how when I was little, 'cause I didn't want to cut my hair," Hau chirped.

"You know I tried getting a degree for hair styling, but I never made the grade," the female grunt who finished the last dreadlock sighed, looking forlorn.

"Hey I'm sure you'll be able to try again someday, I!" Hau assured her with a smile.

Asalie finally got her voice back and shrieked in a more than slightly cracked voice, _"What the hell is going on here?!"_

"Uh, we're havin' girl time, duh," I said, scoffing a little. "Wow, you _are_ jittery, arent'cha?"

"Really cute too..." J muttered to the side, making the brunette sputter at this, face burning.

"Hi Asa!" Hau said happily.

This (thankfully) brought Asalie out of her stammering and she ripped the hat and handkerchief off her face as she snapped, "Is that all you have to say to me?! You were kidnapped by these bastards and I find you- you- _playing with their hair?!"_

I and J looked at one another at this before the latter exclaimed, "Wait, yer not a new recruit?!" before the former gasped, "Yer the kid th' Boss warned us 'bout!"

Hau looked concerned at this but his smile didn't fade. "It was a little scary. Our battle was really close but that Plumeria lady just beat my team and then took me here..." he trailed off before continuing, "But they've been really nice to me here- I'm not hurt and they even patched my team up for just ten pokeyen!"

Asalie stared in bewilderment at this news before her gaze snapped to the two female grunts- I flinched at this before J grabbed her poke-balls. "I-if you wanna fight, I'll give ya one!" she declared, even as her hands shook. "Ya might be cute but I ain't goin' easy on ya!"

 _"Will you stop calling me-?!"_

"That won't be necessary."

Asalie froze at the voice and brought out Pellimore and Ruby as she turned to face Plumeria, face twisted in a furious scowl. On closer inspection, she saw that the woman's chest had bandages beneath the tanktop she was now wearing and she had dark circles that were prominent beneath the makeup around her eyes. She also looked just as pissed as Asalie.

"Leaving a man almost naked in the freezing rain to save a friend- real heroic, aren't you," Plumeria remarked, gaze dark.

"Attacking someone and having the gall to try to pin the blame on them because of their friends actions- _hey pot, I'm kettle!"_ Asalie snarled back, face becoming more twisted in anger.

Plumeria's eyes narrowed as she looked at the two female grunts huddled by the beds and her expression became truly livid. "You don't come in here and threaten my little sisters in the only place they feel safe, you self righteous _bitch_ ," she said in a cold-as-ice voice.

 _"I wouldn't have to if you didn't kidnap my friend, you fucking hypocrite!"_

Um, Miss Plumeria?" Hau put in, quickly getting between the two of them. "What do you need?"

"At the moment? _Her,"_ she stated not unkindly as she jabbed a thumb at Asalie, though her expression was still furious.

 _"If you think I'm just gonna come with you-"_

"I, bring Hau's backpack- J, go to the Center and tell K, L and M to get his team ready," Plumeria addressed the two grunts gently.

The two nodded and quickly ran out. Asalie stared confused at this and Plumeria told Hau almost gently, "You can go now- no one'll stop you."

"But- what about Asa?" the green-haired boy asked, looking at the fuming brunette with concern.

Plumeria's expression darkened but she said, "She's meeting with the boss. No questions asked."

"What makes think you can stop me?" Asalie growled. "I beat you before and I can beat you again."

"With what team?"

"What do you mean, _'with what tea-'?!"_

The brunette froze as she realized that the weight of her bag was gone and Plumeria already threw it to H who made a mad sprint away. _"Hey!"_ she yelled, about to run after him before Plumeria yanked her back by her shirt and threw her onto one of the beds.

"We can do this the easy way, or the painful way," she stated curtly, arms crossed over her chest even as her jaw clenched to keep back a groan of pain.

"Miss Plumeria, I'm coming with her," Hau said, expression solemn. "Asa's my friend- I can't let her get hurt here."

"Hau, I came here to help you get out of here- I'm not letting you put yourself in more danger!" Asalie protested before her voice became a hissed whisper, "We have an officer outside of Po Town, he can help you! Just go, I'll be fine- I have backup!"

Hau didn't look any more happy with this as he turned to Plumeria. "Please don't let them hurt Asa..."

The woman's expression didn't change as she closed her eyes, taking a low breath. As I came back with his bag, Plumeria said, "Give it here- you and J can take a break after she comes back."

"Thanks, big sis!" I said with relief before quickly making her way down the stairs.

Plumeria handed the backpack to the green-haired boy. "Your team's being kept in the center- they'll know to give them back to you."

Hau nodded and spared one last look to Asalie before morosely walking out out of the room. Asalie gave a low sigh, relieved that Hau was as safe as he could be- which was cut off as Plumeria grabbed her arm in an iron grip.

 _"I can walk myself!"_ she spat, yanking her arm out of the woman's grasp and wincing at the imprint left behind.

She followed after Plumeria, glaring at any grunt who looked her way as she followed her to a pathway on the roof before coming through the window- though a part of leftover glass left a small nick on the brunette's ear. They arrived at the door where two grunts were guarding it and they moved aside when they saw Plumeria. She pushed Asalie through the doorway before slamming it shut behind her.

 _"Bitch,"_ she muttered under her breath before looking at the room.

It was rather small, about the same size as the well-kept room with makeup. There was a king-sized bed in the corner at an angle, a chest of several yellow-green crystals across from it and a makeshift dais in the middle and an armchair on top with Guzma lounging in it- her bag and poke-balls were sitting in his lap.

"Th' hated boss who beats you down an' never lets up..." he said lowly before grinning maliciously as he cackled, "Yeah, big bad Guzma's here! Glad ya could make, Asa!"

She didn't bother gracing him with a retort as she leveled a furious glare at him and the white-haired man whistled lowly at her expression.

"That's a pretty fierce look ya got there, Asa," he chuckled before shrugging. "Yer a real conundrum already, but this is still a pretty big change o' pace. After all, it's not everyday someone comes straight to me fer an ass-kicking. You even bothered t' dress fer th' occasion!"

"Don't flatter yourself!" the brunette snapped. "I came to save my friend, not waste my time with you- now give me back my team and bag!"

"Figures- ya come bustin' in here not fer lil' ol' me, but fer yer friend and yer stuff," Guzma shrugged. "But this ain't gonna end with nuthin' but pain- hope ya know that, Asa."

Her glare only hardened at his words, mind racing. _Just get my bag and team away from him and I'm home-free._

"Ya wanna know what I do ta machines that mess up?"

The brunette froze in surprise as the white-haired man loomed over her.

"First thing I do is give it a nice hard _smack!"_ he laughed before punctuating the last part by smashing his fist into his palm before his eyes glazed over with bloodlust. "I mean, most o' th' time _I smash it to pieces,_ but hey- what can ya do?"

Asalie's hands balled into fists, her breath coming out faster but her mind was remarkably calm.

 _"Now let's see if I can't fix you-"_

His monologue was cut off when a bellow rattled the room and a grunt burst in. "Boss, we got trouble! Some vampire dude and a green Arbok got into Po Town after beatin' down th' guards! He's already destroyed th' barricades!"

"What?!" Guzma snapped in disbelief, knocking Asalie to the side as he ran out after him.

Quickly, she grabbed the six poke-balls and bag on the chair- and one of the crystals in the chest on sheer impulse- and ran out of the room. One of the grunts guarding the room went to grab hi poke-balls but Asalie tackled him to the ground before he could get the chance and ran to the window and onto the roof. The rain was still cold but had calmed somewhat.

Then she heard the bellows, roars and screeches of Grimsley's Pokemon and the shrieks from the grunts below the mansion. _He works fast,_ she thought as she pulled her page rider out and sent out a distress signal for Ikuoa-

Before razor sharp wind slashed at her body, opening up cuts on her arms, belly, thighs and slashing her braid right off her head. She struggled to balance herself but was already falling backwards onto the roof and rolled down nearly right off the edge. She managed to halt her descent by clinging to the storm drain, half her body hanging off into thin air while the page rider clattered against the tiles and fell to the ground below. The white haired man loomed over her, expression almost animalistic in it's rage and a fierce looking Masquerain roosting on his shoulders.

"So ya thought ya could come in here an' mess up ma crew AND ma crib?" he growled before smashing his foot down on her right hand before kicking it off the drain, knocking Asalie further off the roof.

She struggled to hold on with her left hand and bring her right hand back but a kick to her jaw sent her over, the only thing keeping her from falling right off being her left hand, which was quickly slipping from the rain and lack of support. Her bag was also starting to slide down her arm, only stopped by her Z-Ring.

"I've had just 'bout enough of you," Guzma declared, smashing his foot down onto her hand and grinding down harshly, the snarling grin stretching across his face. "Let's see ya walk away from THIS!"

With that, he ground down one last time and Asalie's hand finally lost it's strength as she fell to the ground. Her body and her hands especially hurt and she was cold and tired, yet the only feeling she had was a brief sense of _deja vu_ from when Nebby used their power on the bridge.

 _ **"SLEEE!"**_

The next moment, Asalie was caught mid-air and landed nestled between several coils. Zygarde's tail caught her bag and slid it into her lap before they helped her down. The brunette blinked in relief and amazement at the Order Pokemon but they were already pushing her onto her feet as Guzma landed a few yards away thanks to the Masquerain. Zygarde hissed lowly as they slithered into a fighting stance, their coils still wound around Asalie protectively.

But neither got a chance to attack before Ikuoa flew between them and gave a roar that shattered what remained of the glass windows. Asalie quickly scrambled onto his back and Zygarde looped around his stomach- which the Dragonite didn't even bat an eye to, thankfully- and he took off just as fast.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Guzma roared after them, clearly heard despite the distance. "I'M GONNA BEAT YOU DOWN 'TIL YER JUST A PUDDLE O' PASTE ONE O' THESE DAYS- NO MATTER WHOSE HELP I NEED T' DO IT!"

* * *

As they flew over the outside route, Asalie saw Grimsley mime over the meadow and towards where the Pokemon Center was and she gave a thumbs up before directing Ikuoa. The rain finally let up.

When they reached the Pokemon Center, Ikuoa surprised Asalie by actually waiting outside for her instead of flying to his next destination. Grimsley returned his Honchkrow and motioned her inside while Zygarde nodded and waited alongside the Dragonite. Officer Nanu was waiting for them along with Hau, who had a blanket around him and was sipping some Tapu Cocoa.

When he saw her, Hau immediately got up and ran to her. "Asa, what happened to you?! Your clothes are all slashed up and those cuts-"

Asalie looked down and her eyes widened as the cuts that had been there now looked like weeks had passed and newly formed skin made them all but invisible. Zygarde gently laid their head against her shoulder, as though relieved. She smiled at this and said, "Guess I've got you to thank for that."

Zygarde seemed to smile and Hau's eyes widened as he saw the Order Pokemon. "Whoa!" he said in amazement, holding his hand out to them before Zygarde nuzzled into his palm. " _Alola_ \- nice to meet you! Did you help Asa out?"

Asalie quickly explained how she had found the letter and met Grimsley, Zygarde and Officer Nanu before making her way into Po Town. "Wow, that's amazing- you're really a legendary Pokemon?" Hau exclaimed to Zygarde, who seemed to blush at the attention.

"Well, you already know what happened to me and all," before turning to Grimsley with worry. "Are you sure you just wrecked the barricades? They need the houses to sleep in and the Pokemon Center too..."

"They're all I unleashed my Pokemon onto- and even then, we didn't break them that much," Grimsley said with a shrug. "So we get our hostage and we leave Po Town mostly undamaged."

"Didn't I tell you not to make too much of a mess in there?" the officer asked in a deadpan before sighing. "What a lot of hassle..."

"Well maybe it wouldn't have been such a mess if SOMEONE was doing their job!"

"Hey come on Asa- we should be celebrating right now, we got out!" Hau tried to placate her. "We got out of there okay, after all!"

The brunette gave a small sigh- she was glad things didn't go as bad as she thought they would. "Right."

Grimsley shrugged with a smirk. "All's well that ends well, I'd say."

"Not quite," the brunette said, fixing Nanu with a stern look. "I want to know why you haven't done more about Team Skull! You live right by them and you're a police officer!"

"Fair enough," Nanu said before jabbing a thumb at the direction of Route 17. "You've seen Po Town and you've seen that it's inhabitants are lacking in several of the things in life we take for granted. They've got no where else to go and I make sure their trouble-making doesn't get too far out of hand."

"Then why don't you just go after the rest of the grunts?"

"I'm one man with one team, girl- it doesn't matter how strong you are, you can't be in two places at once."

 _"That's your excuse to let those bastards run around?!_ _They just kidnapped my friend and one of them even got me sent to the hospital!"_

"And you recovered just fine while those who got hurt have to hold up in there with no way to treat themselves other than what they've got on hand. I don't condone kidnapping, though."

"He's right, Asa," Hau said, much to Asalie's disbelief.

"You can't be serious," she said, voice low with incredulity. "They kidnapped you, why are you worried about them?"

"They barely have anything, Asa- no money, no power, all they've got is what's on their backs," Hau said with solemn sadness. "I don't want them losing anything more."

She stared at him dumbfounded before looking at Officer Nanu and Grimsley, the former with the same neutral deadpan and the latter casual. She gave a snarl of frustration and stormed to the restrooms, already tearing off the ruined clothes as the door shut with a click.

 _I really am the only one giving a damn about those bastards,_ she thought venomously as she pulled on a loose black t-shirt and white capri pants. _Even the f_ ucking police officer _turns a blind eye to them!_

Her hair now reached roughly to her neck and the ends were jagged and coarse. The brunette sighed as she slid her fingers through the locks, regretting that she wouldn't be able to braid it for a long while.

When she came back, Officer Nanu was gone and Grimsley was still leaning against the counter besides Hau as he got his things together. They locked eyes for a moment but the two didn't say anything. Zygarde had gone out to wait with Ikuoa and Asalie boarded him with Hau behind and the Order Pokemon coiling around his stomach while Grimsley brought his Honchkrow out again.

Once they touched down before Aether House, Ikuoa really did fly away while Zygarde followed closely, seeming more on guard when they saw Aether House. Asalie didn't care, all she wanted to do was curl up in their beds and sleep for a week after what she went through. She was a little vindicated in seeing Hau looking ready to do the same before she bumped into Grimsley's back from where he froze in the doorway.

"Why the hell's it locked...?" he wondered as he typed at the door again before finally bringing out his Bisharp and barking, "Slash!"

The Bisharp brought it's bladed arm down on the door thrice and the material fell away like rice paper- Acerola, Lark, Freesia and the Yongoose were all unconcious on the floor. Grimsley rushed to the purple-haired girl's side, gaze deadly serious and somewhat fearful. Asalie and Hau went to the children and one quick check on the boy's throat latter, the brunette was relieved to find a pulse and Hau croaked, "Freesia's got a pulse."

"So does Acerola," Grimsley said lowly as he brought out Honchkrow, whose eyes glowed pale pink as it used psychic.

A few moments later, Acerola gasped harshly as her eyes flew open, Lark, Freesia and their Yongoose following suit moments later. The trial captain leaped to her feet before stumbling against the wall, eyes watery from the salts as she looked around. _"Oh no, oh no,"_ she wheezed in horror, head shaking back and forth.

"What's wrong?" Hau asked, steadying her gently.

Freesia and Lark were both sobbing in terror and all the brunette could hear from them was-

 _"Miss Lillie's gone!"_

 _"Those Skull guys took her!"_

* * *

No Guzma battle- yet.

I finished this chapter and edited chapter 1 up the night before heading to anime detour, so I hope you enjoy! (PeridotvoicePRAISEMEPRAISEMEPeridotvoice)

Edited: 4/14/17


	31. Chapter 31

CottonMouth25: I got that from Mabel's braid-train in the episode Boyz Crazy.

I'll do my best- I've been building up to this since November and I'm really excited for this :D

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: The creators said he was based off Dracula.

Iron-Ninja: That's what I was going for.

Then you'd get 50% Zygarde form, I believe.

Gerbilfriend: Thank you.

Gigarot: Not yet at least ;)

It's not even about her opinion changing, it's about the truth- both groups did bad things.

catspats31: Apologies for that- now the chapter is gone and there is no reason to flag me further U_U

* * *

Sirens blared across the route. Three police cars had pulled up to Aether House as they closed off the route to the sparse public, pulling police tape over the entrance.

Acerola was with a woman of similar hair color with the strands in a downward ponytail held by a white ribbon and wearing a professional black suit. Lark and Freesia were clinging to her tightly, tired and upset from the entire day while their Yongoose curled on their laps protectively. Grimsley was sitting to the side, gaze dark.

"We got the situation from Po Town from Officer Nanu and he'll be combing over the town," the man with dark hair and brown trenchcoat informed Asalie and Hau. "Thank you for your cooperation."

They both nodded weakly to this before the trenchcoat officer went back to the other officers. The brunette and green-haired boy almost simultaneously slumped onto the grass, Hau curling up in a ball and Asalie laying on her back. She felt peculiarly disconnected from her battered and tired body as her mind swirled with what had happened.

"Asa... I can't even bring myself to smile," Hau croaked, voice cracking with a sob.

The brunette grimaced in agreement. She was so drained by the events already and her argument with Lillie was still fresh in her mind, that she felt that she was far too calm or even uncaring for the situation- but she was still terrified for the blonde. She prayed that they would find her in Po Town soon.

"This is all my fault."

Hau's head was bowed, eyes watering as he said this, prompting Asalie to sit up. "Hau-"

 _"It is!"_ he shouted over her protest, tears sliding down his face as his fist pounded the ground for emphasis. "If I were stronger, then you wouldn't have had to come rescue me and you'd have been able to stop them! Now- now, _Lillie and Cosmog are both gone!"_

The brunette could only watch her friend sob, unable to give anything of comfort to him before a familiar voice, frantic and horrified, shouted, _"Did I hear that right?!"_

Asalie's eyes shot open at the voice, frantic and horrified, and looked behind to see the blond leap from the brush he was hiding in. "Gladion! Geez, don't scare us like that!" Hau gave a wheezing chuckle as he tried to wipe away the tears.

"Did I hear you right?!" Gladion snapped again, expression urgent- even fearful as he shook off the leaves. "Lillie was the one who had Cosmog?!"

 _"That's none of your business!"_ Asalie snarled as she brought Bishop out at the blond.

Type: Null gave a roar as it leaped to protect Gladion and Bishop bristled harshly but retained their position. "Asa, wait!" Hau cried out, getting between the two Pokemon with his arms held to the side. "We don't have time for this!"

"The hell we don't!" she barked, turning her fury to the blond. "You know damn well what we're talking about, since you're the ones who took her- all we have to do is get the answers out of him and find out where Lillie is!"

Gladion grimaced in anger as he reached for another poke-ball before Zygarde shot out of the brush and a Bisharp materialized and pushed the two Pokemon back all while deftly avoiding the green-haired boy. Grimsley stood tall, gaze stern as he met Asalie's fury while the officers noticed and quickly surrounded them, much to Gladion's displeasure.

 _He's not getting away after the shit he pulled,_ Asalie thought with grim triumph at the frustrated expression on the blond's face.

The two officers in charge however, held their hands up to wave the others down and walked over to Gladion, the woman giving him a calm smile. "Gladion, right? Officer Nanu told us about you," she said, holding her hand out to him. "I'm Officer Anabel."

 _... wait,_ what?

Gladion shakily nodded to this, giving a low exhale of relief before worry flickered on his face again despite his best efforts. "Has he found her yet? Is she there?"

"Unfortunately, it seems that Po Town has been emptied out," the trenchcoat officer said with a frown. "The only ones left are those who were outside the town's gates. We have found no sign of Lillie there- it's doubtful she ever was."

 _Wait,_ what?! Asalie stared stunned at this news. _That can't be right! If Po Town really was their only base of operations, where else could they have taken Lillie?!_

"If she's not there, then there's only one other place she could be," the blond said in a low voice.

"Indeed," the trenchcoat man nodded. "While this is a troubling scenario, it has given us a chance to catch them in the act. We have evidence of their crime and therefore, we can bring forth a warrant in order to investigate them further."

"I know this has been hard for you, but you can leave the rest to us," Anabel assured him, placing her hand on his shoulder gently. "You'll see her again soon."

"Wait a minute, I need to come with! I know the layout, I know the passwords!" Gladion protested. "I'm-"

"- too valuable to lose at this point," Grimsley cut him off with finality. "You have information they need, information I was asked to come all the way from _Unova_ to help get," before leaning down to murmur something else into his ear so no one else could hear.

The blond froze at his words as though he had been struck before his hands fell to his sides in fists and he looked down in defeat. Grimsley nodded to Anabel and the trenchcoat man before they moved to the other officers, bringing out a phone on the way.

 _... what the hell just happened?!_

"Uh Gladion, what was all that just now?" Hau asked with concern and a little hope. "Do you really know where Lillie is?"

The blond's fist only tightened, a trickle of blood from where his fingernails dug too deeply in. "Yeah," he gritted out before turning to them. "I told you before that Cosmog will bring disaster to all of Alola and the rest of the world! Now because you two were too weak- too useless- Cosmog will- _Lillie-"_

The genuine pain and fear in his voice brought Asalie back from her internally screaming and she felt concern bubble in her as well. _They're both right, we don't have time for this,_ she thought begrudgingly, fist tightening. _But how does he know where Lillie is? Where else would she be if not Po Town._

She looked back at Gladion. _I don't trust him, not as far as I can metaphorically throw him, but he doesn't seem to be lying. If anything, he seems too afraid and upset to be saying anything but the truth._

"What are you going to do now?" she asked aloud.

"I'm going to save her," the blond said determinedly. "I'm not going to just sit back and do nothing, and I doubt you two will either whether I say yes or no, so the only question is if you're ready to come or not."

* * *

It was certainly an experience having the boy who had fought her to a stand still and had been tasked with Team Skull's jobs flying with them to rescue a girl that they all somehow knew from said group.

Since her own page rider had been destroyed back at Po Town, Hau used his own to call a lithe Dragonite with sharp eyes to ferry them over. "Kaia, it's okay, they're friendly," Hau had assured her when Zygarde tried to coil around her belly.

The dragon scowled darkly but gave a reigned sigh as she allowed the Order Pokemon to take their place before taking off. "We can't fly directly there, they have anti-flying measures in case someone tries to fly in," Gladion told them. "But they don't have any in case someone tries to fly away from the island itself."

 _They took her to an island then. There are plenty of uninhabited islands that are too small to have settlements,_ Asalie thought, remembering the information she got from the book on Alola's islands. _But how would Team Skull have resources to have a base on an unknown island when they can barely function in a single town?_

"So how do we get to her then?" Asalie asked aloud from behind as Hau continued to guide Kaia up front.

"There's a boat in the harbor we can take there."

 _From Team Skull, probably- he is an enforcer for them,_ she thought, hand coming to gently grip at Zygarde's coils.

The scales felt warm and dry beneath her skin and it comforted her more than she expected. Zygarde seemed to vibrate slightly at this before she saw the harbor beneath them and the green-haired boy directed Kaia down to the ferry, beside a black boat with the skull emblem.

"Thank you Kaia," he told the Dragonite before she flew away and Gladion checked over the boat. "All right, we've got enough fuel to get there and back, should it come down to it- we should get there in about forty minutes."

They boarded the boat and Gladion quickly steered it into the right direction before setting it on auto pilot. Through the spray of sea water and the surprisingly clear skies, Asalie was reminded of the sailing from Melemele to Akala Island months ago. She was also relieved that her stomach wasn't churning from the waves- it was more from worry and apprehension.

"Wow-" Hau began as he saw some Pelliper fly above them under the spray of the sea before Gladion almost growled, "Don't you _dare_ say a word about this being fun."

"I won't," he promised, smile small and gaze solemn. "If I had been stronger, then Lillie wouldn't have..."

His smile fell off but he looked no less determined. "I'm ready to do whatever it takes so we can take back our smiles and our fun adventure!"

Asalie smiled softly at this despite herself. _That's right- we went on this journey not to battle grunts or save people but to have fun and try to discover something new. Once this gets resolved, then..._

Gladion nodded to this, looking more relieved than he cared to admit- at least to Asalie. "So you're not quite as dumb as you are naive."

The three trainers settled down to look over their teams and prepare their healing items while Zygarde coiled between them- the blond didn't seem to mind the presence of the Order Pokemon, though this was probably due to the fact that he didn't know who and what they were. Eventually, the silence was broken when Gladion asked, "How do you two know Lillie?"

"We met her at Iki Town," Hau explained, making Asalie frown at his admittance. "Asa helped save Nebby-"

"'Nebby'?"

"That's what Lillie calls 'em! Anyways, Asa saved Nebby from a bunch of Spearow before they accidentally destroyed the bridge, and then Tapu Koko saved them both!"

Gladion blinked in honest surprise at this information before turning to the brunette. "You were able to fend them off with just a Rowlet?"

"I didn't have any Pokemon back then," Asalie said before she could stop herself. "I got my starter after all that."

The blond stared at her in bewilderment. "You stopped to help a complete stranger even though you didn't have Pokemon," he reiterated slowly before shaking his head. "I don't know what to say to that."

"Me either..."

Gladion looked at her closely but didn't comment further before remarking, "And I suppose you two met each other there too?"

"Uh-huh! Asa just moved from Kanto for her dad's job and we got our starters at the same time!" Hau replied before Asalie could stop him.

"Hau-" she protested before Gladion said, "It's fine- I don't have any intention of attacking your homes or families. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to but it's true."

"Well, I already know that!" Hau said with a smile. "I mean, you're a great battler, you care about your Pokemon and you give pretty good advice!"

Gladion stared at him in surprise at this. "You're serious."

"Super serious!"

The blond could only shake his head in wonder at the green-haired boy. Asalie smiled despite herself at the scene before her expression became serious _. I'm still mad at her for not explaining herself and for avoiding me, but I don't want her to be hurt,_ she thought. _Come to think of it, I don't think he's mentioned where we're going._

When she inquired this aloud, said blond stood up for a moment before setting his hand on his head and resting the elbow in his other than. But as he opened his mouth to reply, he stopped and turned. "We're here."

Asalie looked up and her eyes widened as Aether Paradise came into view.

* * *

"You can't be serious."

They were now nearing Aether Paradise's docks with Asalie still no less close to believing what Gladion had told them before. Said blond sighed as he replied for the umpteenth time, "I'm deadly serious- I wouldn't lead you two on on just a gut feeling."

"But she's got a point," Hau put in. "I mean, how do you know that Lillie will be at Aether Paradise?"

"For that matter, why would Team Skull bring her to the place that's full of people who're dedicated to protecting Pokemon from them?" Asalie asked.

Gladion's brow creased but he wasn't given a chance to answer as they pulled into the docks. "It looks like we got here before the Police," he said as they disembarked. "Be on your guard."

The two nodded to this and followed him, footsteps echoing across the space. _It's so quiet now- too quiet, and that's never a good sign,_ Asalie thought, contrasting the silence to when they were in the docks last, the fact that she couldn't see anyone so far only added to the eeriness.

"S-so what should we do?" Hau asked, looking around nervously. "Do we look around, maybe ask someone if they've seen her?"

"Maybe... either way, we need to take the elevator."

"'Maybe'?" Asalie repeated, incredulous. "You don't have a plan, do you?"

"I do have a plan- it's just completely insane."

Her legs felt like jello and the brunette leaned against Zygarde as the Order Pokemon's eyes narrowed. They walked through the harbor before Gladion held his arm out to halt their progress and then grabbed their arms to yank them behind a series of crates. Two Aether employees walked by them and the brunette was disturbed at how limp they seemed to be.

 _What's the matter with them?_ Asalie wondered with a frown, eyes flickering to the floor and walls. Not only that, but there should be signs of battle yet there are none.

 _This is beginning to become very strange-_

Her thought was cut off when a shadow fell over them. She looked up to see a single Aether employee above them. "Uh-" she began before something grabbed her throat from behind- she heard Hau exclaim and Gladion gasp as they were caught as well.

"You're children," the woman remarked before sighing. "It's a little sad but it can't be helped..."

At that, the appendages coiled around her neck began to tighten harshly. Asalie's eyes widened in horror she struggled harder only for the appendages to begin to tighten around her neck, to the point where she couldn't breath. She reached for her team but her vision began to swim to the point where she couldn't reach them.

 ** _"Sleee!"_** Zygarde hissed and lashed out, tail slashing apart the water/poison type's tentacles and the brunette fell onto the ground, struggling to catch her breath.

"Psychic!" Gladion barked hoarsely and the Espeon quickly knocked the Tentacruel and Aether Employee out.

"What the heck was that?" Hau coughed hoarsely. "Why would she attack us?"

There was no time to wonder as more Aether Employees began to rush forward. "Destroy the intruders!" they bellowed.

"Let's go!" Gladion barked as he brought out a Porygon2, Golbat and Sneasel.

"R-right!" Hau exclaimed as he brought out Konane, Akela and Liko. "Come on guys!"

"Wait a minute!" Asalie shouted, running between them and the employees. "Just hold on! This is a huge misunderstanding-"

"Flamethrower!" one of the employees barked and a Slowbrow spat out powerful flames right at her.

Zygarde swiftly coiled around the brunette to protect her from the flames before sending a powerful dragon pulse at the water/ psychic type, forcing it back. Asalie panted with surprise at being attacked, clinging to the Order Pokemon. "What the hell are you doing?!" Gladion barked. "They're not going to go easy on us!"

The brunette's teeth gritted together at this as she looked upon the people who wore the same uniform as her father and his friends. "Titus, Pellimore, Kumonga!" she shouted as she brought them out. "Stop them, but don't hurt them too badly!

They began to fight through the employees- Titus took care of a Parasect and Vibrava and Kumonga knocked outa Growlithe before a Lumineon and Drifblim attacked them. Luckily, Gladion's Porygon2 and Liko were able to handle these two easily enough while Akela took care of the Trumpeak. Hau and Asalie did their best to keep out of the way of the employees while Gladion quickly fought them off, Zygarde knocking out the ones they could. Many of the attacks seemed to miss their teams for some reason but none of them were going to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth.

As Pellimore knocked out a Gastrodon, Asalie spotted a familiar face in the crowd. "Daniel!" she cried out to him with relief. "Titus, come on!"

The two ran through the crowd to the towering man "Daniel, it's me! It's Asalie!" she shouted to him. "Can you tell them to-"

Her sentence halted when she saw his expression was strangely grave, eyes twitching. "Daniel-?" she said before Gordon- now a Machamp with blazing eyes- smashed Titus to the side with a blazing punch before lunging at her.

The next moment, Gladion tackled her to the ground away from the fighting type while Espeon and Golbat forced Gordon back. "Asalie, snap out of it!" he barked, grabbing her by the shoulders.

But the brunette didn't listen as she shouted to Daniel. "Daniel, please don't this! You know me!" she shouted to him desperately, trying to run to him but the blond held her back.

"Thunder punch flurry!" Daniel roared and the Machamp's fists clattered with electricity as it smashed into Espeon and Golbat, knocking them back.

But Pele- now an Arcanine- jumped at him, fiery fangs sinking into his neck while Moke smashed his legs from behind. "Asalie, Gladion!" Hau shouted as he ran to them, the employees now subdued save for Daniel.

Asalie finally got free from Gladion and ran to the muscled man. "Daniel, please!" she shouted to him, breath ragged as she grabbed his arm. "You know me, please-"

But the man's hands came and clutched at her throat, cutting her plea off. Asalie couldn't even speak from the lack of air and the crushing pressure on her windpipe made her vision start to go dark.

She felt the impact of the dragon pulse through the muscled man's chest before he began to fall forward- luckily, Hau knocked him to the right so he fell on his side and Asalie scrambled from him, coughing harshly. Zygarde slithered to her side, hissing softly over her form. Her throat throbbed from the two attacks on it and her eyes blurred with tears of pain and terror as she looked at Daniel's unconscious form-

\- and the slight blue glow inside his mouth. "Hu...?" she rasped only for Gladion to grab her arm and pull her to her feet. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" he barked angrily.

"Gladion, wait!" Hau exclaimed, quickly getting between them. "Asa has family and friends working here, like this guy!"

The blond's eyes narrowed at this before he said, "Go back to the boat- if you can't keep your cool and throw yourself out into battle like that, you're no use here."

"But my dad and Moira could be ahead-"

 **CRASH!**

The three startled at the noise and turned to see the boat they took battered and ablaze before slowly sinking into the water. "Whoa!" Hau exclaimed in dismay.

"That's why those attacks missed us like that- they were aiming for the boat," Gladion grimaced, fist tightening before fixing Asalie with a stern look. "I'm _not_ putting up with you if you keep throwing yourself like that on anybody who looks friendly. Try that again and I'm taking you back here where you'll stay until everything's over. Understand?"

They soon arrived at the elevator, Gladion swiftly typing into it only for it to give a flat buzzing noise. "Just as I thought- they've got a new password so outsiders can't reach the lower levels. What a pain..."

"Then how are we supposed to get-?" Asalie began to ask but Hau's exclamation of, "Guys! We've got a problem!"

They turned and their eyes widened as the employees that were put to sleep or knocked out were slowly getting back up along with their Pokemon, eyes glazed over.

"We need to get out of here- _just go up!"_ she cried out and Gladion quickly put in the sequence so that the elevator shot up to the next floor and away from the employees, Daniel roaring as they barely missed them.

* * *

The elevator came to a halt and Gladion slammed the lever down by the side. "That should keep them from bringing it back down," he said with a low sigh while Asalie and Hau slumped onto the ground with relief, trying to catch their breath.

"Asa, you okay?" the green-haired boy asked as the brunette shivered.

"I- I- _no,"_ she finally croaked out, hugging herself tightly. "Why- Daniel- I don't get it- it's like he didn't recognize me or hear me-"

Gladion sent her a look that wasn't devoid of sympathy. "We'll figure out what happened to them eventually. But you need to keep your head in the game- you won't be able to help them if you don't."

Asalie's hands clenched as she gave a resigned nod, too upset to argue, her hand coming to rest her head upon it. Zygarde gently placed their snout on their shoulder to comfort her.

"I, Faba, am the Aether Branch Chief- the only one in the world, I'm irreplaceable."

The visor blond stood mere yards away from them, toying with a poke-ball. "And here you come back, uninvited- how rude."

"Mr. Faba!" Hau exclaimed in surprise as he got back on his feet.

 _"Rrgh-!_ That's Branch Chief Faba to you, insolent brat!" he snapped sternly. "Now before I apprehend you, you will tell me why you've so unjustly broken into our Headquarters."

"Like you don't know why," Gladion growled. "You of all people should know everything that happens in Aether Foundation- isn't that right, oh high and mighty Branch Chief?"

Asalie's eyes widened at that, finally recognizing the voice of the visor blond. _He's dad's boss, isn't he!_

"What do you mean by that?" Hau asked before Faba chuckled shrilly.

"Just look at you: living out in the world hasn't been kind to you, has it?" he sneered at Gladion. "But you should understand that I'm not going to tell you anything, Gladion?"

 _What is he talking about?_ Asalie thought, still trying to catch her breath. _How do these two know each other-_

"Hey Asalie, Hau," Gladion addressed them. "You know why being a trainer is so great?"

"Um, why? This is a little out of left field..."

"It's because when you battle, your age means nothing," he stated. "Everyone's equal in a Pokemon battle!"

Faba laughed again. "Is that what you think? Then I'd be happy to prove your hypothesis wrong, as the man who's called Aether Paradise's last line of defense!" and tossed out a Hypno with a sleek coat.

"Liko, let's go!" Hau exclaimed as the Lurantis came out, ready to attack the psychic type only for it to use hypnosis. _"Hee hee hee!"_ Faba cackled, hands rubbing together. "Your Pokemon can't do a thing when it's asleep! Now despair as my Hypno drains it's life away with dream-"

Hau was already healing Liko with a lava cookie before shouting, "X-scissors!" and the Lurantis shot over to the psychic type and slashed down- the Hypno was down in one hit. "AIYEE!" Faba shrieked in horror.

"All right, bring out your next Pokemon!" Hau called out.

"Buh-buh-buh- th-that was- _my only Pokemon on me!"_ Faba stammered in fear.

"You... you only had the one Pokemon on you," Asalie said in disbelief, Gladion shaking his head at the visor blond. "He's as arrogant as before, not even bothering to keep his full team on him..."

The brunette looked at him closely. _So he does know Faba._

 _"How can this be?!"_ Faba wailed. _"How can a mere child best Aether Paradise's last line of defense?!"_

"Hey don't beat yourself up- you did really well opening with a status move," Hau said with a smile.

 _Oh Hau,_ Asalie thought as she looked at the green-haired boy with both disbelief and some fondness.

"Now you've got no more Pokemon to protect you," Gladion grabbed the visor blond by the front of his coat as Type: Null growled lowly behind him. _"Talk."_

"The world has truly been cruel to you," the blond mused as he looked at Gladion, still trying to appear unflappable even with sweat dripping down his face. "Look how hard it's made you- but if you're looking for Cosmog, I suppose it could be on the lower levels."

"That's right," Asalie remembered the bespectacled woman's words. "Wicke said there was another level accessible to the public- but how are we going to get down there without running into the employees?"

"That's what we need the password for- it'll take us down to the bottom of Aether Paradise," Gladion explained.

"Huh- so what is that's done down there?" Hau wondered.

"Well, if you must know, there are... certain experiments done down there," Faba said with a shrug. "Experiments that are said to tear the very boundaries of the world apart."

"We're in a hurry, Faba- speak plainly," Gladion stated.

"Oh, why not," Faba shrugged under the blond's glare and Type: Null's snarls, sweat coming down even faster. "This is an act of kindness I can do for you as thanks for my position as Branch Chief. After all, if you hadn't left with Type: Null, the president would remain ignorant of my talents."

 _Wait, what?!_ Asalie thought as Faba began to type into the elevator. _What is he talking about?_

"Asalie, Hau," Gladion addressed them. "If you're ready, let's head down."

"Okay!" Hau declared while Asalie could only nod silently as the elevator, her final glance upward showed Faba beginning to smirk.

* * *

The downstairs was much spacier than Asalie expected, with shades of blue, cyan and dark gray on the walls and doors. "Everything looks the same," Gladion said softly. "Though it only has been two years."

"It's like a secret hideout!" Hau remarked as he stepped off onto the floor.

"Don't get too excited, Hau," the blond cautioned before giving a small smile, "though I guess it's better than freezing up from nerves or fear."

Asalie grimaced at this, knowing it was directed at her. _Cut me some slack, would you?_ she thought bitterly. _This is too much to take in- please be okay, dad. I don't wanna fight you..._

"So, where do we go now?" Hau asked.

"There are two labs ahead. I'll check Secret Lab A while you check Secret Lab B, it's down the hall."

"Why do you get the first one? And how do you even know all this?"

"Focus, Hau," Gladion told him, not unkindly "I know you can do that. But we can't trust Faba- I'm sure he's already alerted half the foundation about us, and in the state those grunts are in..."

"All right- we can focus," Hau said. "But you can't keep dodgin' our questions."

Gladion looked away at this but the green-haired boy nodded in understanding. "I get it- nerves, right? I reckon you're more afraid to be there than me an' Asa, huh, Gladion?"

He's got a point, Asalie thought. He'd been on edge ever since Aether House

"C'mon Asa," Hau said, taking her hand. "Let's buckle down and do this- for Lillie!"

Asalie managed a nod before following after him. _How long ago did I last see her? Two, three hours at most?_ she thought, lip finding it's way between her teeth. _What if something happens and the last things I said to her-_

Her thoughts came to a halt when she saw three people in labcoats and helmets blocking their way. They didn't say a work and simply tossed out their Pokemon, Hau, Gladion and Asalie bringing out Koanne, Espeon, and Ifrit to fight against Muk, Magneton and Porygon2- these Pokemon were much stronger than the ones the employees had sent out earlier and Konane and Ifrit were knocked down to their last bits of health before Espeon was able to knock out the last Pokemon.

The three employees twitched erratically before collapsing to the ground. Gladion pulled off their helmets and Asalie was relieved that they weren't anyone she recognized. Otu of curiousity, she examined their mouths but saw that none of them had the strange pale blue glow that Daniel had. _But what does that mean?_

They found the two rooms but Gladion stopped them both from entering the first one. "Trust me when I say you're better off not knowing what's in here," he said, voice almost shaking before he closed the door behind him.

"Okay," Hau said softly and pulled Asalie along- the look of pain on the blond's face became locked in her memory.

 _This entire place feels so sinister,_ she thought with a grimace. _Does_ she _know about this?_

They entered the area titled "Secret Lab B"- reminding Asalie of an old superhero show that had everything labeled- and found two employees inside.

"Keep your grimy hands off our research!" the male employer barked as he brought out a Vanillish.

"This research is out life! I don't care if you're a kid, I'll send you flying if you threaten it!" the female snarled, bringing out a Machoke.

Hau and Asalie brought out Akela and Ifrit again- before Asalie remembered the beating Ifrit had taken and she reached to pull her back only for the Magmorter to dodge the poke-ball's light and send a thin flamethrower at Vanillish while Akela knocked out the Machoke.

"Why?" she couldn't help asking as Zygarde coiled around the two employees to trap them. "Why are they acting like this?"

"It's not a particularly original line- but where there is light, there is also shadow," the male grunt wheezed out.

"Indeed- there is another world that cannot be brought about through idle talk... got it?" the female rasped. "We might not be strong, but the other in Lab A are more experienced in handling powerful, uncontrollable Pokemon-"

"Focus people," Hau said, clapping his hands a bit. "Where are Lillie and Nebby- I mean Cosmog?"

"We might have lost, but you're not getting anything out of either of us," the male employee declared. "'sides, even you can see neither of them are here."

Zygarde then smacked their head against the two, knocking them out before slithering out of the room. "Come on- let's search the place," Asalie forced herself to speak, fist. "Maybe we can find something- anything that'll give us a clue."

The two of them began to look over the room for anything until Hau found a book and Asalie a report on the labtop- they read the book first. Aether Report: Ultra Wormholes

Beyond the Ultra Wormholes that Professor Mohn discovered lies a different dimension. By investigating the changes in mass there, we can predict the existence of Pokemon-like life. We have dubbed them "Ultra Beasts" for now.

 _Professor Mohn? That sounds familiar..._

They then looked at the report on the labtop and Asalie was pleased to find it labeled, Aether Report: Cosmog.

Cosmog is hypothesized to be a type of Ultra Beast that hails from another dimension, one that we have dubbed "Ultra Space" for now. When placed under sufficient stress, it reveals the power to create and open Ultra Wormholes in order to escape it's suffering. We are now working on a device that will allow us to manipulate the Ultra Wormholes created when Cosmog is subjected to sheer stress...

"So Cosmog is an Ultra Beast and it can create Ultra Wormholes?" Hau said, eyes wide. "That must've been what Gladion was trying to warn us about before! We gotta go find him!"

Asalie nodded, eyes growing wide as she allowed Hau to pull her out of the room. _Nebby's the same as that creature that appeared before- hell, it's probably the reason it appeared like that in the first place!_ she realized before her stomach filled with ice. _But if this is true, then that means that the people who were after Lillie in the first place-_

She shook her head harshly. _I need more information. I have to know the whole truth!_

* * *

This is another chapter that DID NOT WANT TO BE WRITTEN.

Sorry for the fake out with the author's note ^^; While my story is going scheduled as planned, I unfortunately have been more and more work, so time between chapters may become longer than a week. Nevertheless, I will continue my endeavor to write this story.


	32. Chapter 32

Gigarot: Basically, and it made the story run smoother.

Yes, this break-in is not going to be pretty for Asa but it's necessary.

I think Hau really shines when he's put in the fray :)

Iron-ninja: Soon...

TheSparklyKitten: I like your username :)

I'm happy you enjoy the story.

Guest: The reason that they compared it to an Arbok before is because they had never seen Zygarde before- the characters that see it assume it to be an Alolan forme because they have nothing else to compare it to. Sorry for the confusion ^^;

* * *

Once they finished reading over what they found, Asalie, Hau and Zygarde went back to Secret Lab A- which had the smell of smoke coming from it- as Gladion came out with Espeon levitating a few bloodied and beaten Aether employees and their Pokemon out, including Wicke and-

 _"Moira!"_

The brunette ran to the unconscious stout woman's side, flinching away when her hands came back red. Moira didn't respond but the slight movement of her chest showed that she was still breathing. The four others seemed to be alive as well, albeit in similar condition- Wicke was the only one conscious but she was coughing harshly, blooding painting her bottom chin and neck.

"What the heck happened to them?!" Hau exclaimed in distress as he pulled out his first aid kit, dismayed that he didn't have enough bandages.

Gladion gently tilted their jaws open but there was little need as Asalie could see the blue glow inside even with their mouths closed, while Wicke's mouth was normal. He remained silent as he took off his hoodie- having a simple black t-shirt underneath- and started tearing it into strips. The brunette turned to her bag and found her green jacket, crumpled from being in for so long. She followed the blond's example and tore it apart while bringing out the medicine in the Refresh bag Ashwin had gotten her.

Once they had finished tending to the five as best they could, Wicke forced herself to sit up, still coughing. "Miss Wicke, don't push yourself!" Hau exclaimed, reaching for her but the woman shook her head.

She breathed harshly, hand on her chest clutching at the area similarly to how Plumeria had clutched her own at the Ruins of Life but forced herself to speak. "They resisted- no matter how much-" but her sentence got cut off as she coughed harder.

"Don't talk anymore," Gladion told her gently and helped the woman lay down more comfortably.

 _What happened to them? Was it because they didn't want to fight?_

"We've done what we can for them. Now," Gladion's voice brought her back, "what did you two find?"

They quickly relayed what they found in the report and book. "They plan to hurt Cosmog enough to open up the Ultra Wormholes?" Gladion reiterated once they finished, realization flickering across his face. "So that's why-?"

"But that plan makes no sense!" Asalie put in. "Why would they want something like that if the Ultra Beasts are so dangerous? Especially if they're more violent when being taken from Ultra Space?"

"More importantly, where the heck are they?" Hau wondered. "We didn't find any sign of either of them down here."

"Faba probably knew we'd hit a dead end, that's why he gave up the information so easily," Gladion realized, grimacing. "We need to get out of here."

"But what about these guys?!" Hau protested, looking back at the four. "We can't just leave them..."

"We will be fine- please don't worry for us-" Wicke croaked them, expression determined even with a trickle of blood slipping past her lips.

"One last thing then," Gladion decided and his expression became concerned. "Do you know what happened to Lillie?"

Wicke looked worried at that as she said, "I- imagine she is with the president."

"Wait, you mean she's with Miss Lusamine, right?" Hau asked.

Asalie already felt a smile relax her face and she sighed with relief. "That's great. All we have to do is explain what's going on and she'll take care of the rest. She's already done so much for us..."

"Is that what you think of her?" Gladion asked, expression hardened.

"She's a really nice person from what I saw!" Hau put in with a nod.

"Well you're not wrong- she can be _real nice_... as long as you don't mean nothing to her," the blond spat bitterly before turning back to Wicke. "What about the way to the living quarters?"

"I'm afraid- the doors have been locked-"

"What, again?!" Hau groaned but Gladion declared, "That's not stopping me," and ran ahead to the elevator.

"That's really starting to piss me off," Asalie muttered as Zygarde gave the retreating blond what looked to be an unimpressed look.

"No kidding. Does he think it makes him look cool or something?" Hau agreed. "Let's just keep going- we're all in this together, so we might as well see it through," before running after him.

 _'Nice as long as you don't mean nothing to her'?_ _That can't be right,_ Asalie thought, fist clenching against her chest as she remembered the blonde- Lusamine had not only gone out of her way for her when her foundation needed her more than ever but she had helped her feel more confident in herself and her abilities.

 _She's so much like m-m-,_ the thought stuttered before Asalie forced it to continue.

 _She's so much like mom, it's like she never left._

"If you would..."

Asalie looked back at Wicke, the woman's breathing becoming harsher. "Please- look after young master Gladion- when he is worked up over something, he doesn't consider the consequences of his actions- those two are indeed alike..."

The brunette could only nod dumbly to this- and resolve to get answers out of Gladion one way or another- before something stopped her and she looked back towards the end of the hall, Zygarde following her line of sight.

 _Weird- I could have sworn there was another door..._

* * *

Gladion's assessment was indeed correct as several employees were there to greet them when they came to the main floor. "Hello children," the leader greeted them. "I'm afraid Branch Chief Faba has given us orders regarding you three."

 _"Now that you've learned of the darkness at the heart of Aether Paradise, we'll need you all to conveniently disappear!"_

Asalie shivered at their words and looked into the crowd- but she could find no sign of Daniel, Moira or her dad. She still recognized some of the employees before them but that only made the fear worse as they were actively seeking to hurt and/or kill them. Titus and Akela took care of a Pelliper and Mudsale while Porygon2 blasted a Trumpeak out of the way and Zygarde brought down a Magmar and Electabuzz.

 _Where are you, dad?_ was the only thought in battle as the brunette's team knocked down the Pokemon before them until theirs were the only ones standing.

"Wha- how can they be so strong?!" the Aether employees wailed.

"That's what you get when you go through the Island Challenge, even if you end up dropping out," Gladion stated. "Now how about getting out of our way?"

The employees shivered before many quickly ran away, many yelling, "You won't get away with this!"

"Phew... thanks Asalie, Titus, Porygon2, Zygarde," Hau sighed as he caught his breath with a grin.

"You know..."

Gladion looked a little awkward as he said this but kept going. "I know we're not friends- but I'm glad you two are here," he admitted, eyes averting to Hau. "I even remember what you said back at Royal Avenue, how people can achieve more if they do something together."

He offered a genuine- if not sardonic- grin at this. "Looks like you were right."

Hau beamed at this. _Dammit, I'll ask him later,_ Asalie thought, letting herself smile just a little at this development.

"My my, what naughty children. You should have kept your heads down and surrendered when you had the chance."

Faba's drawl broke the moment and the three looked ahead to see where the visor blond was standing before the sealed door along with two more masked employees and-

"Dad!" Asalie exclaimed in relief at seeing Ashwin- only for fear to settle in at seeing him right beside Faba and clutching his poke-ball with a shadowed expression. "Oh no..."

"How unfortunate that your family dares to stand in my way," Faba sniffed at Ashwin, who remained silent. "Such is the fate of those who stand in the way of progress."

"You leave him out of this!"

"Leave out one of my employees when they must protect Aether Paradise and all it stands for? You must understand that's not exactly a sound business practice."

"Did you make him take that serum-stuff the other employees took?!"

Faba chuckled nastily at that before turning to Ashwin. "Shall I explain or-?"

 _"Asalie."_

The brunette froze at her father's voice, low and stern with an undercurrent of power- Zygarde almost seemed to wilt at the man's voice as well. Ashwin's expression was focused and stern and Asalie felt her insides grow cold at the faint glow of blue inside his mouth.

 _No, no, no!_

"Surrender- I don't want to fight my family," Ashwin told her without preamble.

Asalie's hands shook harshly- how could she fight her father, or disobey him? She was already reaching for her backpack to put it down but Gladion grabbed her arm in a vice grip to stop her. "If you won't fight, we will," he declared. "I don't have time for this."

"Of course you don't. I knew you wouldn't waste any time once you realized my cruel mercy and struggle onward- nay, I could see every action you would take!" Faba declared while pointing at them accusingly. "So I knew you would try to reach the president, hence why I awaited you here. I knew I would be able to ambush you here and remedy my previous failure! The only reason I let you access the lower floor was to buy time to gather more staff to stop you, including Miss Nalani's father-"

"Say uh, Mr. Faba?" Hau called over to him, cutting the visor blond's tirade off. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you had the key to the president's room!"

 _"That's Branch Chief Faba to you, you uncouth simpleton!"_ Faba barked before forcing himself to calm down with a sneer and nasty chuckle as he dangled said key in front of them. "And it just so happens that I do."

"So that means if you stayed hidden," Hau said as he put his fist into his palm, "we would've been stuck running in circles with no way to move forward, right?"

One could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed- Faba quickly began sweating in horror and Ashwin looked seconds away from face-palming. Gladion allowed a vicious smirk across his face as he remarked, "Well that's one way to get information. Nice work, Hau."

Faba shook with rage before he bellowed whilst pointing an accusatory finger, "TEACH THESE MISERABLE VERMIN A LESSON!" and the three masked employees sent out Magmorter and Electivire while Ashwin wordlessly brought out a Ledian, eyes closing briefly in resignation.

"Asalie!" Gladion barked as he brought out Type: Null and the brunette was startled into bringing out Ruby.

Type: Null roared as it smashed into Electivire, the electric type straining against the chimaera Pokemon. Ruby looked eager to be fighting someone that reminded her of Ifrit but looking at her trainer's expression made her become more serious. "Rock slide- end this fast!"

The Midnight Lycanroc obeyed, using the longest stalactites to push Magmorter back while barely dodging it's white-hot flames. Type: Null was nearly thrown backwards by Electivire's sheer strength but they flipped around headbutted it harshly, the helmet on their head making the impact even harder.

Hau already brought out Moke and shouted, "Sorry Mr. Nalani!" as the Komala smashed it's log against Ledian's skull, knocking the bug type into the wall behind it before Ashwin even had time to bark out a command.

As Ruby finally beat down the Magmorter, she saw Faba backhand her father hard enough to leave a bruise. "You dare hold back?! I told you what would happen to your colleges-"

Asalie saw red at this and was reaching for her team before Zygarde gave a furious bellow in rage as they slithered straight for Faba. The visor blond threw Ashwin at the ground/dragon type but the Order Pokemon quickly caught the man and set him upright before continuing after Faba. He frantically threw out Hypno, a Slowbro and a colorful fish with pursed lips and fangs out at it.

 **"GRAAAAAGH!"** Zygarde roared and the whole floor began to shake and then stilled.

Then, the ground erupted with a crash and Asalie was slammed against the floor where she rolled and hit the wall, Gladion following with a surprising grunt. Stunned by the impact, Asalie struggled to get her bearings back- she could briefly hear Hau shout in surprise and her dad's gasp get cut off. Then, the sounds of battle between whatever Pokemon Faba had on him and Zygarde- the visor blond was losing.

 _"Nonono-"_ Faba began to cry out before Hau shouted out, "Stop it! Stop it, please! You won, it's over!"

Her head finally stopped spinning and Asalie slowly got back on her feet. The floor had been destroyed, leaving a gaping hole that nearly destroyed much the elevator and left only the edges of the floor intact. Ashwin and the other employees, along with their Pokemon, were inches away from falling down the newly created hole.

Zygarde held a limp Faba in their coils while Hau was clutching at their scales, eyes pleading. The Order Pokemon finally relented and set the visor blond down by his defeated team. Hau quickly took the card key from where it had been dropped and said, "Sorry about that, but we need to help Lillie and Nebby. We're going up ahead, okay Mr. Faba?"

The visor blond gave him a look of loathing but said nothing. Asalie was already running over to her dad's side to pull him away from the hole- he was unconscious, blood slowly leaking from his head and she felt sick with terror. Gladion was by her side already and pulling at the masked employees labcoat to help make bandages while taking some strips to tie up Faba.

"Please don't die, please don't die..." the brunette begged as she wrapped her father's head, Ashwin deaf to the world.

"Mr. Faba, what did you do to Mr. Nalani and his friends?" Hau asked.

"You dare look down on us as though we're common criminals?!" Faba snarled. "They didn't do anything they other than what they agreed to do to protect the foundation and all it stood for!"

"You still didn't answer my question, Mr. Faba," Hau pointed out, voice becoming sterner. "What. Did you do. To Mr. Nalani. And his friends."

"I did nothing to them that they didn't already agree to. They just needed a little more... incentive."

Asalie looked ready to throttle the visor blond but Gladion set a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Is that why you gave them Nihilego's Toxins?"

"Nihile-? What?" Hau repeated, confused.

"Nihilego- the name that was given to a parasitic Ultra Beast, whose toxins greatly increased the infected's physical power and endurance and can even affect Pokemon through contact with their trainer. The most blaring symptom is a blue glow in the infected's mouth."

Asalie's eyes widened at this information, remembering her father and their friends' mouths had indeed glowed blue.

"Indeed- but simply calling it a 'toxin' after countless late nights and sacrifices does it no justice. This is my magnum opus: the N1- Bolster Serum!" Faba said with a maniacal grin. "With it, we can become stronger, faster, smarter- all it costs is any sense of restraint and morals, but who needs either?!"

Zygarde gave a warning hiss and Hau was already putting a hand on their back as he pointed out, "But not all the employees' mouths looked like that- so that means some of them took the stuff while others are fighting of their own free will!"

"Of course they did! They were willing to protect Aether Paradise themselves- even I can pride them on that much!" Faba stated haughtily.

"So you gave- or forced- the employees and their Pokemon to use the serum in order to fight," Gladion summed up, eyes flickering to Asalie." Your dad and the others have the most blaring symptoms. I can't imagine that all of them did so willingly and that there weren't those who were more resistant to it's affects."

"So is that why Moira and the others were locked up? Because the stuff didn't work on them?"

 _"Do not call my serum 'stuff', you uncouth simpleton!"_

"I imagine so- and Wicke was with them because she protested using the serum at all, wasn't she?" Gladion said, eyes narrowed.

"That simple-minded and weak-willed woman dared to stand in the way of my genius-"

"Mr. Faba, what can we do to cure the ones who took the serum?" Hau cut him off.

"The better question is: why bother to make a cure for something that doesn't require one?!"

The brunette's stomach twisted further with nausea at his words and she growled lowly before Gladion set a hand on her shoulder. "We need to keep moving," he said before running up ahead.

She looked at her father and remembered Daniel unable to recognize her and Moira's battered body. "You're not getting away with this," she promised in a low voice. "I'll make sure Lusamine finds out about this, and then you'll be sorry."

Asalie turned back to Ashwin and hugged him briefly. "Hang in there, dad," she whispered before turning back to Hau. "Let's go."

"All right!" Hau said with a nod and they forged ahead, even as Faba started laughing hysterically.

* * *

The light was almost blinding as they opened the door up, though it was nearing mid-afternoon at this point. All the better to illuminate the scene before them- dozens of Team Skull grunts on the ground while others were blocking the pathway towards the main building ahead.

 _Wha-?! What the hell are they doing here?!_

"Shit, more intruders!" one grunt exclaimed while another shouted, "Hold 'em back- for our sponsor!"

"There's like an uku billion thugs in this place!" Hau exclaimed in surprise back before his expression became a grimace. "Are they working together with Aether Paradise?"

"Like hell they are!" Asalie exclaimed angrily. "Faba must have hired them to do his dirty work!"

 _It's bad enough that he forces that poison on my dad and his friends- he must have made them abduct Lillie and Nebby too!_ she thought, furious as she battled through the grunts back-to-back with Hau before Ruby's rock slide became stalactites and stalagmites as she learned stone edge and Pellimore scattered pale green feathers in feather dance and destroyed the enemy Pokemon's attack power.

 _I don't know how he was able to do this under Lusamine's nose, but I'll make her see the truth and make that bastard pay!_

Finally they made it through to the last grunt, who quickly stepped to the side in surrender. "Hey, I ain't no dumbass- I know not t' pick fights I can't win!" he said and the two went forward-

 _"Guillotine!"_

\- just in time to see Type: Null collapse onto the ground under a powerful looking Pinser's claws. "No!" Gladion exclaimed as he ran began to run over to the chimera's side only for Goliosopod to smash it's claws into his stomach and throw him back.

"Gladion!" Hau exclaimed and quickly ran to catch him, knocking both boys down before Zygarde steadied them with their coils.

"Well, lookit who made it t' th' party!" Guzma sneered, meters away where his Araidos and Masquerain were already out.

"You jerk! There was no reason to hurt him like that!" the green-haired boy exclaimed with vehemence as he looked over the blond.

He sent a dismissive sneer at them. "Trust me, I did that spoiled brat a favor by crushing him into the dirt," before sighing as he looked Gladion up and down.

"You know I kinda liked you, kid. Leaving home like you did and wanting to get stronger- that took some real guts," Guzma said, surprisingly serious. "Going so far to come over to Team Skull with no fear- all for the sake of rejecting your own mother? That was pretty damn impressive."

"No- not now-" Gladion croaked in anger and upset, eyes fixed on the building behind Guzma even as Zygarde gently held him back and. "She's just there-"

"Don't push yourself," Hau said gently, trying to keep the blond from hurting himself.

"Lillie's in there- and so is Lusamine?" Asalie asked softly and the blond nodded, expression desperate and pleading. "Please- help her- save Lillie-"

The brunette nodded while Hau steadied Gladion against Zygarde better before she stood in front of them, pinning Guzma with a glare. He, much to her catharsis, looked just as pissed to see her.

"Th' hated boss who beats you down an' never, ever lets up- big, bad Guzma's here an' he's pissed as fuck!" he snarled. "It's bad enough you got me into a draw, but you went an' trashed my place with that monster- that's crossin' th' line! You little shits keep gettin' in ma grill, like smoke that I can't brush away," he growled before cackling, "But now it's time I put out your fire at the source! Get 'em, guys!"

The four bug types began to rush forward but a plan was already in Asalie's mind as she brought out Bishop, Ifrit and Kumonga alongside Ruby. "Flamethrower and scald together! Stone edge and discharge!"

The water and flame melded together with a hiss and created a harsh steam that hid them from view. While Ruby smashed stone edge to create a wall between them and the bug types, Bishop's electricity reached all four of them and paralyzed them. in the cover of the steam, Asalie was already bringing Pellimore out and clutching her along with Titus.

With that, the Decidueye shot above the steam and the battlefield and flew/glided straight for the ornate doors, barely missing Guzma's head before they smashed through. She heard him roar something less than charitable before she ordered, "Ice beam!" and Titus froze the door shut behind them, adding another layer for safety.

She swallowed deep gulps of air, trying to calm down, slumping against the ground. Pellimore looked at her worriedly while Titus looked more unsure and a little frightened. Once she got her bearings back, Asalie pulled herself up- she was inside the main hallway where there were two staircases to the left and right, but with bares on the spaces and on the doors leading up. Even the windows were barred, allowing only slivered bits of the afternoon sun inside.

Asalie didn't look at this troubling scene longer than she needed to, not when the ones she was looking for were so close and she and her remaining team went forward.

 _Lillie, Lusamine- I'm coming!_

* * *

Another chapter that refused to be written ^^;

Still no Guzma battle- but that this point, that's not what the protagonists are trying to do.

If any of you have suggestions on how the chapter can be improved, I'm all ears and eyebrows.


	33. Chapter 33

Guest I: (EVIL LAUGHTER)

CottonMouth25: Well, I'm glad I made such an impression last chapter.

You and everyone else ^^;

Iron- Ninja: :D

Gigarot: He does, doesn't he :)

Ah, all right. I edited it in, thanks.

Mandriel: Thanks a lot, I tried my best to make her as realistic as I could.

Also, do you mean Kumonga?

Guest II: Everyone seems to be looking forward to this.

 **Author's note: This was originally two chapters but I had a feeling you'd all like this to be out of the way at last. Please enjoy the longest chapter I've written yet. Probably.**

* * *

The room hadn't changed one bit since Lillie had been there last. The queen sized bed still smelled of perfume, the lamps were still gently pulsing golden light behind the glass and the table and chair where refreshments and medicine were brought were still present.

And mother looked the same as she always did- ageless and stunning, but hiding something twisted beneath. Her stomach shivered with fear, anger, love and so many other emotions she couldn't give a name to, all from just being in her presence.

"Eight months," mother stated. "That was certainly longer than I expected from you."

Had it truly been so long? Three months of being Kukui's assistant and living with him and five months going across Alola along with Asalie and Hau. Just thinking all of that time made her head swirl. But the situation was already drawing her back out of nostalgia.

"Of course you had others to do the hard work for you, so it's not that much of a surprise," mother shrugged. "Getting two different Pokemon professors on your side, a kahuna's grandson- you even have dear Asalie wrapped around your finger."

Lillie flinched at this and mother smirked. "Oh yes, I know- she said herself that the two of you are _quite close."_

She began to circle the younger blonde. "A gifted young trainer like her, and she wastes her time with someone like _you?_ I'm curious what you said to her to make her so... _enamored_ with you. It's certainly influenced her more than I expected. In that state... what have you made her do when she was with you, what promises did you make her keep?"

Just remembering Asalie promising to protect her from those trying to get to Nebby, taking so much time to help her and trying to encourage her made her knuckles clutch tighter at her bag strap. She knew that the brunette liked her, and she certainly liked her back- but she couldn't bring herself to tell her what was happening, especially after she met mother.

 _I used her and didn't even try to trust her to understand,_ she thought miserably, head bowed. _Is she right about this-_

* * *

 _"I want to! I want to help you, Lillie. So I'll do what I can for you when I can."_

* * *

Remembering this made her head clear almost in an instant. "I don't need your permission or approval, mother! _I will save Nebby from you!"_

"My, you do say such incomprehensible things," mother remarked before laughing haughtily. "Relying on others to do the work for you, hiding those with more skill and talent than you could ever dream having- the only thing you've ever accomplished by yourself was stealing someone else's research! That would more than explain your attachment to dear Asalie- it's so much easier to get someone with real talent and power to do what you can't!"

Her hands spread out to either side. "So by all means, tell me! Enlighten me with your plans to save Cosmog with your little to no strength and conviction!"

She turned away with a _"hmph"._ "You're not beautiful enough for my world. Still, you've come this far- you may watch me summon my sweet beast. After that... _you can get out of my sight."_

Her teeth ground together in upset and anger at this and exclaimed, "I'm not being foolish, or selfish! I'm asking you to listen to me! Don't sacrifice Nebby for that creature's sake! You have no idea what will happen!"

* * *

 _It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision- when the scientists' head were turned for just a fraction of a second, she had scooped the Csomog into her bag before making a mad dash. She raced through the hallway from Secret Lab A, clutching the bag to her as tightly as she could, the little creature peaking out with confusion and surprise but remaining docile._

 _She ran to the receptionists' desk but saw too many employees guarding the area, so she ran for the elevator and went for the conservative floor. She could open up a window on one of the glass panels-_

 _Her thought was cut off when some of the employees spotted her and she began running once more. But these men and women had longer legs and greater stamina than the sixteen-year-old and were gaining on her. Lillie felt cold panic settle in when she saw more approach from up ahead, fencing her in._

 _She held the bag closer to her, remembering the poor thing's screams from the experiments- she couldn't let them hurt it anymore!_

 _Then, her bag began to glow brightly with blue and indigo light before she felt herself being yanked off the ground and into the air, the shattering of glass barely audible over the power around her. Below, she saw Aether Paradise grow smaller and smaller as they went further and further into the night sky and across the sea. The wind was ice cold- tropical or not, it was still February- her arms were growing tired and aching from the way she clutched the bag and she wasn't sure if they were being chased or not- but the giddiness and relief was what she felt strongest._

 _She and Cosmog were free._

 _But all too quickly, the Cosmog was growing weaker and they were coming closer and closer to the water. Lillie clung to the bag and could faintly make out land just ahead. She tapped the little creature and pointed forward and it put in an extra spurt of speed before they both began to fall. The last thing the blonde remembered of that night was skidding to a halt on the shoreline, water cold and sand coarse on her skin and someone shouting..._

* * *

"When we ran away from the Paradise, they used their power to save us both but they couldn't move for so long after that. If you hurt them like you plan to in order to open the Ultra Wormhole, _Nebby will die!"_

"You're right, it probably will die from the strain..." mother admitted before smiling coldly. "But I already knew that."

She went towards the warp panel and was gone a moment later. Lillie struggled to keep her breathing level- even though it had been two years, it was just as, if not more, stressful dealing with mother as it had been before. Even taking in account everything that was happening now, her heart was hammering just inches from her mouth.

 _She's even more gone than I thought,_ Lillie thought, head bowing in despair. _Is there nothing I can say to stop her-?_

 ** _SLAM-CRASH!_**

The sound of the doors being slammed open and a vase crashing made Lillie jump in surprise before turning around. Asalie was panting for breath with Pellimore and an Alolan Ninetales by her side, wearing a black t-shirt and white pants and looking like she had just sprinted a mile. Her braid was gone, hair now hanging in slipped tatters right at the nape of her neck. But her black eyes were clear and shone with relief that was directed at her.

"You're okay- great," she sighed. "But where's Lusamine?"

Lillie felt the relief sag at the second part of of her reply. "She's on the other side of the warp panel- but Asalie, please wait! You have to-"

Asalie set a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "This can't wait- shit's gone down and she needs to know," she said, expression determined.

"But-"

"I'm still mad at you," she wasn't facing the blonde as she said this, yet her expression softened just a bit, "but I'm happy you're okay. Once this is over, you have to tell me what's going on."

She then ran to the warp panel before Lillie could stop her and vanished, arm still out-stretched to her. _"Come back..."_

The warp panel was right there before her, but Lillie couldn't make herself move- she would see Asalie and her mother together and the brunette supporting her. The blonde knew this to be a fact and this kept her from going forward.

 _I can't see that,_ she thought, eyes shut tightly. _I couldn't take it-_

The door slammed open again and the next moment, she was being scooped into a tight and enthusiastic hug. "Lillie!" Hau exclaimed happily. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

At any other time, she would have welcomed the green-haired boy's cheer but Lillie had to break free of his embrace. "There's no time- we need to get going right now!"

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

The blonde froze at the voice, the one she hadn't heard for two years and looked behind Hau. Gladion was leaning against a large green and black serpent- balancing Asalie's team's capsules on it's coils- with bandages hastily wrapped around his chest underneath the black t-shirt. "Gladion..."

"So you two do know one another!" Hau exclaimed, fist punting his palm.

The older blond looked away at this but Lillie could see him trying to hold back a blush. The serpent made a low hissing noise, reaching for the warp panel and Lillie turned back to them. "Asalie already went up ahead to where Nebby is- let's go!"

* * *

The room was cold and enormous with the walls and ceilings well over a dozen meters high and a pathway so that a boat could come inside as well- and on the walls, all around the pathway to the back, were blocks of ice with what seemed every species of Pokemon imaginable frozen inside. At the end was a computer with several hologram screens and a diamond/ cubicle contraption what was shaking.

"- N1- Bolster Serum, it messes with people's heads. He's already used it on your workers, including my dad and his friends!" Asalie was explaining frantically to Lusamine. "He's even paid Team Skull off!"

She only smiled lightly and gently titled Asalie's face towards the blocks of ice that contained Slowpoke, Pikachu, Pyukumuku and many others frozen in place. _"Gah!"_

"What do you think? It's my private collection. My precious babies preserved for all eternity here."

The brunette recoiled from the ice blocks but kept going, "Didn't you hear me?! Faba's paid-"

 _"Asalie, get away from her!"_ Gladion barked, wheezing afterwards from the pain and coughing.

The brunette looked over to where the others had come in and visibly slumped in relief. "Oh thank Arceus you're all here! I keep trying to explain what's going on to her but she's not listening-"

 _"Gravity."_

Suddenly, Zygarde, Gladion, Hau and Lillie were slammed to the ground as the Clefable concentrated it's power to keep them firmly down. Lusamine brought a Mismagius out and it's eyes glowed as it lifted the poke-balls on Gladion and Hau off along with the ones Zygarde had. Lusamine cocked her finger and the Mismagius threw the capsules into the water.

Poke-balls being able to withstand water pressure and a time limit of three hours of air be damned, Asalie was already running to leap off the platform to save them, only for a Lilligant's stun spore to freeze her mid-step and making her smash into the ground hard.

The elder blonde knelt by the brunette and all too gently slipped her bag and the two poke-balls off her before throwing them into the water around the platform as well. "No..." her voice was barely above a whisper, horrified as the team she had built, the ones she trusted to watch her back, sunk to the bottom.

"Why did she do that?!" Hau cried out, horrified at the callous display while Gladion struggled to get on his feet and the Order Pokemon writhed in vain.

Lusamine ignored all of this as she hoisted Asalie back up, almost cradling her. "There now, dear Asalie," she murmured gently, taking the terrified brunette's face into her hands. "You just leave everything to me..."

 **"GRAAAGH!"** Zygarde roared, thrashing becoming more frantic, the force of their body sending cracks into the floor and down the platform.

"My poor beast must be so confused, so afraid, and so angry arriving in this strange world," Lusamine sighed, completely ignoring this. "I couldn't confine those feelings in such a small case as these ones, not if it needs to express itself."

She smirked and declared, "I think Alola is big enough that it will allow room to express it's feelings!" holding Asalie tightly to her as she swept her hand in a grand gesture.

"Wait, _what?!"_ she shrieked, staring at Lusamine with growing fear and horror.

"Uh, Miss Lusamine?" Hau spoke up to get the elder blonde's attention, despite half his face being planted on the floor.

"Ah sweet Hau, you've come as well," she remarked before shaking her head at Gladion. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you're here too, but must you be so untidy?"

Gladion's scowl deepened, struggling not to black out from the pain his chest was in. "Will you at least listen to what I have to say?" he got out. "You know damn well that if you open up the Ultra Wormhole and let the beasts run wild, then they could destroy Alola!"

"Oh man-! So that's what you meant before!" Hau realized and Asalie paled considerably.

Mother looked over him before her gaze flickered back to Lillie. A moment later, her face twisted in fury. _"How dare you ask for my attention now! Why would I listen to the the son who took my Type: Null, or the daughter who stole my Cosmog?! All I ever did was give you two all the love I had and you repaid me with_ _betrayal and abandonment!"_

Asalie's mouth dropped open, looking between Lillie, Gladion and their parent in stunned realization.

"Wha- 'Daughter', 'son'?" Hau repeated in shock. _"You're all family?!"_

"Perhaps we once were, sweet Hau, dear Asalie," Lusamine said, voice momentarily becoming more cordial before hateful again, "but those wretches beside you-"

 _"That's enough!"_ Gladion barked angrily before coughing from the pain and lack of air. "You-! You're the whole cause of this! Because of your obsession, because of you're such a control freak, you'd use your own children as dress-up dolls and anything else you could get your hands on!"

"Gladion, please don't- you'll hurt yourself!" Lillie pleaded, red starting to stain the floor underneath the other's torso.

 _"No!"_ he spat, even with Clefable's gravity pinning him, Gladion forced his head up. "Listen up, Asalie! You want the truth, I'll give you the truth! Faba might have been the one to develop that serum, but the one-"

He wheezed harshly, struggling to breath before continuing, "The one who came up with it in the first place-"

An especially painful sounding hacking and blood splattered the pure white floor in front of him.

"- and the one who's been supplying him the ingredients to make it is Lusamine!"

Lusamine's expression didn't change but Asalie looked like she had been punched in the stomach, her irises becoming mere prick-pins against the sclera as Gladion shouted, _"She's the one who's been heading the research on Ultra Space and the Ultra Beasts, all to bring them into Alola!"_

"But- if that's true- Lillie-"

The brunette's eyes immediately shifted to Lillie. _"Is Lusamine the one you were running away from to protect Nebby?"_

"... I'm sorry," she got out miserably. "I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to tell you before..."

Lusamine only sneered with a terrible light in her eyes, "You can whine and point fingers all you want. Maybe if you really had been a daughter to me, a proper daughter, I would have listened to you. Too bad~"

She looked down at the quivering container. "Before, I was able to open the Ultra Wormhole with the gases we extracted from the Cosmog we had before this one in the original branch. I can do it again!"

 **"GRAAAGH!"** Zygarde roared as they writhed their head up, body glowing brilliant green but still unable to break free.

Nebby gave a pained groan within the container but Lusamine paid it no heed. "I was able to get a powerful reaction before with just it's gases- if I use it's entire body, how many Ultra Wormholes will I be able to open?" Her smile stretched into an eager grin. "How many sweet beasts will come to me then?!"

The container shivered before it began to glow bright blue and indigo- the next moment, a sphere of light shot into the air and smashed against the air. At first nothing happened- then, a crack began to form in the air, before several more joined and a shattering noise echoed across the room, making several cover their ears from the sound. From the cracks had appeared a rippling hole reaching as though from inside the atmosphere...

* * *

 _"Doo-do-doo~ Just a Kahuna out for a stroll in the laguna~"_

The sky filled with dark gray clouds as Hala walked by the trail along with his Bewear, Akoni, and his Poliwrath, Bane- the construction of Plank Bridge was nearly complete. He felt bad that all young Lillie could do last time was explore the trail with her little companion, but with the completed bridge she'd be able to research to her heart's content.

 _I wonder how my grandson is doing out there, along with young Asalie..._

However his thought was drawn to a close when a sharp shudder went up his back. "What is this disturbance?"

 **SHRAGABAGAGA!**

The kahuna swiftly leaped backwards before a bulging, muscle-bound red bug-like creature had pulverized the ground where Hala had been last standing before drawing up to it's full height. **SHRAGABAGAGA!** it roared again as it flexed multiple times.

"Well, this seems-" Hala began before barely avoiding a blow that decimated the tree by him.

A graceful bug-like creature with a shell on it's back, slim and curvaceous body and bored blue-green eyes hovered above the ground, as though afraid to touch the dirt. **Kyagara...** it murmured musically.

"Well, these are certainly rare visitors," Hala finished his statement as he brought Ipo, Kale and Mano out as well and took a fighting stance. "You stand before the island kahuna, and the protector of it's inhabitants!"

Suddenly, he heard a crackling noise and a yellow and orange blur shot between them- a shell with the likeness of a bird cawed before Tapu Koko revealed itself, crackling with electricity. **"Tapu Koko-o-o-o-o!"** they crowed, eyes narrowed.

His team stared in amazement at the Tapu while Hala kept his stoic determination up. "Did you come as the Island Guardian, or just for a fight?" he wondered.

Tapu Koko looked back at Hala and the kahuna saw the image of a scarred man for a moment before they turned back to the two creatures before they brandished the gauntlet shields.

 _My comrades must be facing similar threats- stay strong, all of you._

He reached for his Z-Ring, opened it up and tapped the pale yellow Z-crystal with shield insignia inside it. His team's eyes closed as their bodies became alight with orange power and they took their fighting stances back-to-back with Tapu Koko.

 **"I, Hala, and my team, shall assist you to the best of my abilities!"**

* * *

"Whoa, look up there!"

"Storm clouds?"

"They sure rolled in fast..."

Olivia looked to the sky as the clouds rolled in from where she was sitting in the outskirts of Konikoni as the on-lookers pointed upwards. _This isn't just unnatural weather, it almost feels-_

She was given no more time to ponder as some of the trainers shrieked with surprise and the kahuna heard electricity crackle. She ran into the city in time to see several people on the ground, some burned and unconscious. In the center was a creature that looked to be made of live wires and a head that looked like a several sided star, pale blue- it's body bobbed and twitching erratically.

 **KRRRRRZZZSSHHH...**

"Get the injured out of here!" Olivia barked. "I'll draw it's attention from them!"

Her team was out seconds later, along with an Alolan Golem and Carbink. "Hey, tall, dark and electric!" Olivia barked as they surrounded it. "Pick on someone who can actually defend themselves!"

The creature looked over to them, head cocking for a moment before it's arms came down- reminiscent to power whip- and knocked them back several feet. They managed to keep their balance but the damage on her team was already done. Olivia reached for her medicine, only to find the containers had been shattered by the impact. Then, pale pink scales fell onto her team and her eyes widened as their injuries healed before her very eyes.

Tapu Lele settled by her head, gaze focused on the creature. Olivia's eyes flickered to where her trainers were herding the injured and saw how relieved they had become. "Thank you," she said.

The guardian deity nodded back to her and for a moment, a stout woman flickered over Tapu Lele before it vanished. The creature wriggled as it crackled with electricity, arms twitching harshly as it readied for battle. Olivia showed no fear as she tapped her Z-Ring and the pale pink Z-Crystal with shield insignia and felt power flood into her and then through to her team.

 **"Let's go."**

* * *

The storm clouds over Po Town were all but constant, but the new ones that came over reeked of malice- the Skull grunts left behind were beginning to panic, especially after the vampire-like man and the Alolan Arbok had trashed their hideout.

"Big sis, I'm scared..." I whimpered, along with the several other grunts clutching to Plumeria.

"We're gonna get through this, like we always do," the second-in-command stated, keeping her expression stoic and her voice steady as to calm down her dumb brothers and sisters.

"You out here too?" Officer Nanu remarked from where he was sitting underneath the fringes of his roof, instant ramen in hand.

In that instant, Plumeria heard I, J, H, K, L and M scream in fear and she forced her expression to remain stoic as she ran to them. The smell of fire and gases made her nose wrinkle and her eyes widened as she beheld the green, gray and teal _behemoth_ before them, rockets on either side of and on the bottom of it's body.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" B screamed, clutching onto his friends tightly.

 _Probably the last thing we'll ever see,_ the woman thought, eyes closing in resignation.

She knew how powerful those things were, even if her source of this information wasn't to her liking. She knew her team wouldn't be able to stand up against such a creature, nor was she under the delusion she could distract it long enough for her family to escape.

"No way..."

"Big sis- look!"

Her eyes opened before widening at the sight of the creature being held down by thick and ancient tree trunks and Tapu Bulu smashing it's head straight into the creature's, making it's cranium snap back with a **CLANG!**

Nanu's eyes widened just a millimeter before shrugging and bringing out his team- Alolan Persian, Sableye, Honchkrow, Krookidile and Absol- to fight alongside the grass/fairy deity. Despite him being an officer, Plumeria had no desire to watch the man become a bloody smear on the ground.

"Officer Nanu, no!" E cried out.

"It'll tear you to shreds!" A wailed.

"What the hell are you doing standing around? Go and warn the other island dwellers," Nanu cut off the protests, his voice now stern and carried over the commotion. "You can tell 'em it's Kahuna Nanu's orders."

Plumeria's eyes widened further, mouth opening in surprse. "He NEVER calls himself 'kahuna," D breathed.

She shook off her shock and barked, "Well?! You heard the man!" before she quickly herded them for the Pokemon Center on Route 16- before she ran as well, she could swear she saw a muscled man with nose ring standing by Tapu Bulu.

"Kids," Nanu sighed before turning back to the battlefield and to face the heaving rocket-like creature, fingers reaching for the red Z-crystal with shield insignia. "You got my attention, now I'll sh **ow you why I was given the title 'Kahuna', however unwillingly."**

* * *

An old man with long white beard, thick eyebrows and bronze skin sighed from where she was in bed- once, he was the most powerful trainer on the island, now his vry bones conspired to keep him grounded. But when he saw the unnatural clouds and heard the roars outside, he couldn't ignore that.

He grabbed his staff and the string of poke-balls attached and headed outside to meet his maker on the form of a giant, fat, black and indigo creature with crab-like appendages and two heads- the mouth on it's stomach was strained with mud, dust and blood. His trainers, the ones he had seen grown, were laying in pieces before him.

He brought his team out- Kommo-o, Salemance, Alolan Eggxecutor, Drampa and Turtonater, all as old and tired as he- and faced the creature before him with far steadier feet than he expected.

 _I'm sorry,_ the old man thought, eyes closing in resignation. _It seems this is-_

 **"TETONIC RAGE!"**

The creature was smashed into the ground and dragged through it and then tossed backwards towards Poni Plain. The old man looked to the Mudsale, one he helped raise from her mother, and then to his granddaughter, alight with purple energy alongside Tapu Fini.

 **"I apologize for being late grandfather,"** Hapu said, eyes blazing.

The old man smirked at the sight of his grandchild, come to save him in the nick of time before the creature began to lumber back onto it's feet. "Well? Don't just stand around then, child!" he laughed as he tapped the purple Z-crystal with shield insignia and let power flood his and his teams' bodies one last time. " **Let's give 'im what for!"**

The veiled woman smiled before Tapu Fini gave a warcry.

* * *

 **Jrr-rrr-rrr...**

The same creature that had appeared in Aether before was now hovering before them. Asalie struggled as hard as she could but the stun spore was effective enough so that she could barely move. The elder blonde left her propped against the interface while she typed over the computer before several screens revealed dark stormy skies and dozens of wormholes in the air all over Alola.

 _"Yes!"_ she cried in triumph. _"My precious beasts are all coming into Alola!"_

 **"P...ew..."** Nebby whimpered and Asalie tried to reach for the container before Lusamine kicked at at. "Must you be so noisy, even now?! What an annoying creature!"

The brunette stared at her with infuriated anger and betrayal as Nebby gave another weak whimper.

"Madam Prez!"

Guzma entered the room, eyes locked on the older blonde and the creature. "Looks like th' experiment's a success! All that's left t' do is catch this sucker," and his eyes flickered to Hau and Gladion with glee, "an' beat these upstart brats into a fine paste!"

"Indeed," Lusamine agreed, waving a hand at the three trapped teens. "Guzma, do quiet these children- I don't want to hear from them again."

"You got it, boss!" Guzma cackled as he pulled his team out before looking right at Asalie with a bloodthirsty grin.

 _"No no no! Don't hurt them, please!"_ she begged frantically, panic making it hard to breath. _"I'll do anything!"_

"Anything? Then..." Guzma remarked thoughtfully before cackling, _"Enjoy th' view, Asa!"_

 _"NO!"_ she screamed, barely able to see with the tears in her eyes.

Hau and Lillie squeezed their eyes shut in fear, Gladion's head was bowed in resignation. The Ultra Beast quivered, **Jrrr-rrr...?**

Asalie followed where it seemed to be looking and her eyes widened the water behind them rose like a wave, shimmering with power. _What- the hell...?_

 **"Prima-a-a-a-a!"** Konane trilled as he smashed the wave down on the platform.

Lillie and Hau were nearly swept off but were caught by Zygarde's tail thrashing tail, Guzma's Goliosopod absorbed most of the attack to shield it's trainer. Lusamine brought out a Milotic that curled around them and the computer to protect from the worst of the attack, Asalie wincing at how tightly she was being held while some of the water got through onto her side.

Then, she heard another splash and Kumonga roar. _Wha-?_

A shaking thud sounded next and Milotic's coils lessened so the brunette could see the Araquanid had climbed up the side of the wall, pincers digging into the ice blocks while Konane landed on the platform- hers, Hau's and Gladion's poke-balls rolled from his tail. Clefable had been knocked out and onto it's back, Zygarde hissing over it's body in triumph.

"Konane-! You're the best!" the green-haired boy rasped, tears of joy in his eyes as he released the capsules inhabitants- there were no immediate signs of harm other than their confusion and concern.

"We'll stop the beast!" Gladion shouted as he scrambled to his feet and his team moved around him, Type: Null taking point. "My partner Null was created to be a beast killer! Hau, you take on Guzma- don't let him come any closer!"

Hau looked startled at this but his expression became determined as Konane's eyes narrowed at the four bug-types. "Hahaha! You think you can beat me, brat?! You'll go down just like last time!" Guzma sneered.

The Ultra Beast murmured lowly but showed no sign of fear or worry. Lusamine on the other hand, growled lowly. "You will not harm my-"

 ** _"Kyoooon!"_**

Titus' extrasensory knocked Lusamine back and against her computer hard- making the screens flicker from the impact- before Ruby scooped Asalie up and leaped back to the others. Pellimore fussed over her for a moment, gently nuzzling her face while Kumonga stationed himself protectively over her. Ifrit's expression was deadly serious and Bishop crackled with aggression.

It was amazing how quickly Asalie could feel herself calm down just by seeing these six safe and sound with her again.

"Asalie, stop the president! If we don't, Alola will be flooded with beasts!" Gladion shouted to her, making the brunette startle.

"Asalie, please help Nebby!" Lillie cried out to her, Zygarde curled around the girl to shield her from the battles.

Lusamine got back onto her feet, wincing from the impact before looking at Asalie and her team. "Oh dear Asalie," she sighed with a strained smile. "Your team means well, but I'm afraid they're as small-minded as the others."

The brunette shivered at her words, honeyed and gentle as though they weren't fighting for their lives in a twisted trophy room. But seeing what the older blonde was planning and witnessing her true nature made her feel sick with fear all over again. She couldn't speak, her stomach twisting itself into knots. Pellimore hissed lowly, putting herself between her trainer and the woman while Titus gave a low growl.

"Like I said," Lusamine said as she brought out a Bewear and a Goodra before throwing a revive to Clefable, _"just leave everything to me, dear Asalie."_

Ifrit was already smashing Clefable to the ground with flame burst, keeping the Fairy Pokemon from attacking with her rapid fire. Milotic however leveled a powerful hydro pump and knocked Ifrit off of the fairy type and nearly right into the water, if it wasn't for her clawed feet digging into the floor. Kumonga threw himself at Clefable with poison jab when it attempted to use gravity again. Pellimore screeched as she sent spirit shackle at the Mismagius to pin it down but it easily deflected the arrows with rapid fire shadow balls.

Lilligant began to dance gracefully around Titus, easily dodging his ice beams before he clawed at his head, confused by the teeter dance before being knocked back by it's petal dance. Bewear smashed it's arms down hard enough to send cracks through the floor and Ruby barely dodged them, parrying with stone edge while Bishop and Goodra locked themselves in stalemate with their powerful defenses.

Hau's battle with Guzma was going better and worse than their last- Guzma was fighting with his full team with no pretense of letting any of them walk out alive, but Hau's team had been training harder to combat him ever since their loss. Pele kept her fangs digging into Pinsir's side, Liko and Konane forced Goliosopod back while Masquerain dodged Akela's electro balls as best it could and Moke was fending off Scizor rather handidly.

Type: Null roared as they dug their fangs into the creature tentacles and part of it's head- the sledgehammer helmet was gone revealing a white canine-like face and fierce red eyes- and threw it against the ice blocks. The creature gave no indication it was in pain, aside from the bite marks that had torn off parts of their tentacles. Aside from Golbat, Espeon and Sneasel, it seemed that only their attacks were having something of an effect on the Ultra Beast.

"How... how can you be so awful!" Lusamine whispered, aghast at the Ultra Beast's state.

This distraction was enough for Pellimore and Ifrit to switch opponents, the Decidueye's leaf blade slashing across Milotic's form and sending it crashing against the wall while Ifrit's faint attack crushed Mismagius into the ground. Titus' ice beam finally hit Lilligant, freezing it in place while Ruby's brick break smashed into Bewear's neck and Bishop's flash cannon forced Goodra to the edge of the platform.

"That's it, Lusamine! It's over!" Asalie called to her. "Just stop all this!"

Lusamine shuddered before snarling angrily, _"All I want is my precious beast! I don't give a damn about the rest of you!"_

Guzma saw the elder blonde's team unconscious and his expression became panicked before he touched the Z-Ring on his wrist. "GET OUTTA MY WAY!" he roared as the braclet glowed with a power not unlike Z-Moves.

The same power surrounded Scizor before blue armor came over it's body, claws now resembling clawed pincers as the golden-orange energy crackled around them. With little to no effort, Scizor smashed through the rest of Hau's team and gave Guzma the chance to race towards Lusamine.

During this, the creature began to faze out like before and the hole became just a crack. "No! The Ultra Womrhole's weakening!" the elder blonde cried in horror.

Asalie bit back a grin of triumph- she still didn't know if it would fade on it's own or not. "Gladion!" she shouted to the blond and he called back, "Get to the computer and destroy it!"

"Right!" She started to run to the computer before she heard Lusamine bellow "ICE BEAM!" and she looked up in time to see Milotic and Goodra charge the two freezing cold beams right at her-

 **"SLIEEE!"**

\- only for Zygarde to throw themselves between her and the attacks, screeching in agony before collapsing. Asalie gave sharp gasp of surprise before dropping to her knees over their twitching form, not knowing how she could help but unable to just leave them there. But as her fingers brushed against their scales, they suddenly erupted into several... green tiny things with strange eyes.

* * *

 _"Help-"_

* * *

They shriveled and fell to the ground, Zygarde's shape becoming smaller and smaller. The tiny green things seemed to disappear or fade away as they fell to the floor, tiny noises barely audible from them.

* * *

 _"It hurts-"_

* * *

Zygarde's form was beginning to shrivel up faster as the tiny green things fell away, the form growing smaller and less serpent-like. Asalie's fingers fell through the tiny green things- _cells_ \- making her fall forward until they reaching something soft and fleshy. The green fell away-

* * *

 _"Please- stop-"_

* * *

\- until Astin Nalani lay before her, unmoving and cold under the green cells.

* * *

 _"- mom!"_

* * *

"Are you okay?!" Guzma exclaimed as he ran to the blonde's side, worry showing despite his best efforts.

"I am fine- we've no time to waste!" Lusamine shouted as she brought her team back and withdrew a blue capsule with an **x** across it.

"Right!"

"Don't let them get away!" Gladion shouted and he and Hau ran to them only for the changed Scizor to block their way, eyes wide with bloodlust.

"Mother!" Lillie cried out before seeing Asalie slumped over her brother's body, gaze shadowed. "Asalie- and Mr. Astin?! What on earth-?!"

Lusamine and Guzma both began to faze out the closer they got to the Ultra Wormhole, along with the creature. The hole increased size, shimmering with blues, greens and violets and Lusamine sneered and gave a mocking wave goodbye before turning to the hole-

\- before a roar smashed through the air and her smirk froze.

Asalie was sprinting to the woman with the rage of a wounded animal and Guzma was already shooting between her and the older blonde. Light flooded the whole area, blinding them- and when it faded, Lusamine, the Ultra Beast, Guzma and Asalie were gone and the Ultra Wormhole vanished.


	34. Chapter 34

Gigarot: Oops. I edited that bit ^^;

(EVIL LAUGHTER)

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: It's always a great feeling to get tests out of the way.

Iron-ninja: :D

CottonMouth25: I'm happy I met your expectations *^_^*

TheSparklyKitten: Then I have done my job :)

Guest: All will be revealed in due time...

Shinypichu88: Whoops.

* * *

"I see..."

Wicke, Gladion and Hau were in the beds of the staff's residential quarters while Lillie sat on the side with her brother, Nebby still floating above in her lap. They had just finished explaining what had happened to both officers what had happened in the past few hours.

When the International Police arrived, they found many of the Aether employees and Skull grunts there had already been subdued- those that hadn't were in no shape to fight, though they tried. Taking the warp panel brought them to three children and an injured man- the only girl was holding a tiny sphere with closed eyes and mouth agape as if sleeping, protected by a golden halo.

While they were able to take the four humans out of the room, the six Pokemon refused to leave-eventually, Officer Anabel was able to placate them and they would stay away from the area at least until the forensic team gathered any and all evidence there.

"So the one behind these Ultra Wormholes opening was President Lusamine Paradisi, and she- along with Team Skull boss Guzma and one Asalie Nalani- disappeared into Ultra Space?" Looker concluded. "Is that the gist of this all?"

"That's right," Gladion stated before Hau blurted, "You'll help Asa, won't you?!"

The two officers exchanged glances at this- such a task would be easier said than done with everything else they had to take care of. "We will do what we can to help your friend," Annabel finally said.

"In the meantime, we urge you to rest- you've gone through quite an ordeal," Looker advised as he got up. "We, the International Police, will handle the rest."

They left after that and the four housed were silent. Lillie's hand flickered over Nebby's form before dropping to her lap. Her mother and the girl she cared for, had disappeared before her eyes into the same world as those creatures. She felt numb from shock yet there was a fire in her body that screamed at her to get up and do something.

"I hope Asa'll be okay," Hau mumbled with concern. "She's all alone there, not even her team's with her..."

"She's cautious enough," Gladion said. "Besides, worrying about her isn't going to do anything."

"So, what CAN we do?" Hau exclaimed. "I know Officer Looker and Anabel said they would handle what happens next but it might be too late once they start trying to find Asa, Miss Lusamine and Mr. Guzma!"

"Aw man, that's right!" Hau realized with a groan. "We still gotta get those two out- but I dunno how they'll react to that, or if the police find them first..."

"Perhaps..."

The three teens turned to Wicke as she spoke up- while she was tended to, the curvaceous woman was still nursing two cracked ribs and several others were bruised, so she couldn't speak and breathe well enough yet.

"Perhaps we... can find them ourselves... Cosmog can... open Ultra Wormholes... when stressed... but... perhaps their new... form... can do more."

They looked at Nebby's form but the Cosmoem remained silent and still, though their body was still warm. Lillie's arms encircled Nebby protectively at this though. "I won't put them through something like that."

Wicke shook her head at this before continuing, "There's... a legend... we found... connecting... Cosmog... to the Tapus... and the Celestial... Pokemon of old... if we... had them... with us... there may... be a chance... to reach... the other world."

"Yeah, maybe. But there's still a ton we have to do. There's the president and Guzma, who both disappeared into the Ultra Wormhole, not to mention Cosmog changing forms and why it stopped moving. Even if she's... like that, Lusamine is still our mother. We can't just leave her in the beast's world."

"Oh right!" Hau's fist fell into his palm. "Lillie's already researching the Tapu's, right? So maybe they can help us figure out what's going on with Nebby and how to get Asa and the others back! I know you were able to get to Tapu Koko and Lele's ruins, so..."

"The truth is that I was unable to get to the Ruins of Conflict because the bridge gave out- I was able to study the outside ell enough and I visited the Ruins of Life and Abundance already."

"It's a longshot, but it's our best chance right now. The last one would be on Poni Island then," Gladion concluded before frowning. "The Pokemon there are monstrously strong..."

"We can always ask the officers for help- maybe it won't do a lot but it can't hurt to try," Hau suggested before he yawned. "But for now... we gotta get some shuteye."

Barely two minutes had passed before the green-haired boy was already fast asleep, Wicke following not long after. Gladion looked at the younger male with mild exasperation, though this was more out of habit than anything. He wished he could sleep, but while his body was worn out his mind was a whirl. There was so much to do and yet he could do nothing but rest- it was an incredibly frustrating feeling.

Lillie shifted by his side before she tentatively curled up beside him, Nebby still in her arms between them. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked softly.

"Yeah- I've had worse," Gladion replied back truthfully.

Lillie's brow creased at this and a minute passed before she shifted up to rest on her elbows. "I'm really happy to see you again after all this time, but when you went away with Type: Null you- you left me all alone with mother!"

She was beginning to shiver, eyes squeezed shut. "She was already bad, but I didn't think she could become _worse_ \- if I didn't have Wicke with me..."

Gladion felt hot shame at this as he gripped her hand.

* * *

 _The first time Gladion saw Type: Full, he and Lillie were starting to be educated into taking over Aether Paradise. Mother had been working ceaselessly to create them since what had happened years ago and decided that they should learn of them in order to make and improve on them in the future._

 _Three glass containers with green fluid held twisted creatures within with shrunken limbs and craniums._ _Lillie hid behind him in fear but mother gave her no comfort._ _"Have you no spine?" she sneered. "You make such a pitiful sight, trembling there."_

 _Gladion bristled at this but memories of the lengths that woman went to to punish disobedience kept his jaw clenched tightly shut. All he could do was give his sister's a hand a reassuring squeeze._

 _"These will grow to form the base form of Aether_ _Paradise' Magnum Opus, the Anti-Ultra Beast lifeform, the Beast-Killer Type: Full!" mother declared with a maniacal grin, hands spread out wide._

 _Gladion barely listened to the woman's rantings as he looked at the three Type: Fulls. The one on the far left twitched for a moment and a single eye opened and locked on the blond._

* * *

 _As Gladion continued his studies, his gaze shifted back to the Type: Fulls- they were slowly but surely nearing completion._

 _Their base forms had been outfitted with powerful limbs to crush their opponents and run like the wind, a tail that would allow them to cut through the water at top speed, budding bat-like wings to allow them to fly and their jaws barely covered up ferocious and thick canine fangs, peeking beneath their lips._

 _Faba stood from where he had been hunched over the various computers, dark circles beneath his eyes and hands twitching as he handed mother three separate containers containing a series of disks. "It's done," he rasped, voice barely above a whisper. "All we need to do is implant them!"_

 _Lusamine's grin became all but feral as she went to the three Type: Fulls._ "With the RKS system installed in them, they'll be able to assume any type depending on the disc inserted in them- they're the perfect fighter against those damned monsters!"

* * *

 _The next day, he was startled to see mother's arm in a sling and a harsh wound extending from her neck down and looking completely defeated. The Type: Fulls had gone berserk and refused to obey orders- their power was repressed and three were set in cryogenics as his mother buried herself once more into research._

* * *

 _From that day on, a change came over the blond woman. Lessons became longer and breaks were few and far between. Their old clothes were thrown away and they were only allowed to wear what shepicked out or made for them. Even their meals were regulated, mother micromanaging every calorie put into their dishes and locked the fridge so they couldn't get more._

 _But the most disturbing change came when she took Lillie aside one day- when they returned, Gladion felt sick seeing his little sister now looking like one of those monsters and his mother looking so happy dressed like another. From then on, Lusamine became more obsessed with the Ultra Beasts- it was as though she had completely forgotten what they had done, what they had taken from them._

 _As he laid in bed, stomach aching with hunger, body exhausted from the lessons and terrified at that woman's change, Gladion knew he couldn't stay in Aether any longer. He needed to leave and the sooner the better._

* * *

 _With his plan in mind, Gladion began to prepare- during lessons, he looking over the maps of Alola (pocketing a fountain pen from one of the scientists that had rushed in because a Gravler accidentally self-destructed), learned each employee's shift by heart and kept his ears open for any opportunity to escape._

 _As for the means to escape, Gladion remembered the Type: Null still frozen- even if they had gone berserk, they were still strong. Strong enough to get him out of there._

 _His efforts finally paid off when it was announced that one of their patrons would be paying a visit to them to see the strides that Aether Paradise had been making in Pokemon conservation and rescue. Lusamine would be busy with preparing the base and hiding any trace of of the Type: Null and Ultra Beast research- while she would come down hard on either him or Lillie if they didn't look perfect, she was too busy to properly keep an eye on them and Wicke would be in charge._

 _With Wicke looking after Lillie- Arceus knew his little sister needed her more than ever- Gladion was free to sneak away and find the Type: Null. He used the elevator hands shaking slightly as he put in the password and went down to the main room. The employees were relaxing down there, knowing they had nothing to fear from the organization finding this floor- allowing Gladion to sneak in with ease to the Secret Lab A._

 _All three Type: Nulls were frozen in solid blocks of ice, helmets crafted around their heads and the RKS system attached to their backs black and ragged. The blond remembered how they had been crafted to be as strong, durable and fast as possible with only the best possible parts._

Just like me, _the thought came unbidden and the blond's fist clenched, all the more determined._

 _Gladion shut off the cooling unit and checked the time- at this point, Lusamine would be showing them the conservation area three floors above them. Minutes passed as the ice began to melt faster and the Type: Null on the far left twitched as the lip of their clawed paw became free._

 _His hands shaking, Gladion pulled the lockpick out and chipped at the ice as best he could to help speed it along. Cracks began to form inward and the Type: Null's iris moved to focus on the blond. Water dripped onto the floor and soaked his shoes and sleeves but Gladion kept picking away as the minutes ticked by. Type: Null twitched harder in the ice and the cracks formed deeper and deeper._

 _Finally, a sizable chunk of ice crashed against the floor as Type: Null's leg kicked out. A grin of triumph and adrenaline spread on Gladion's face as he dropped the pen and began to pry at the ice itself, regardless of how cold and numb his hands already were. Type: Null thrashed harder and harder, breaking off more and more of the ice until they gave a bark and leaped off the platform, shaking the water off before slumping to catch it's breath._

 _"Yes!" Gladion hissed in triumph. "Now to get the others..."_

 _The other two blocks were beginning to melt with earnest and Gladion reached for the lockpin only for the doors to swish open- he looked up in time to see two employees freeze at the sight before one of them grabbed their communicator. "Code red-" he began before Type: Null crashed into him and knocked him aside._

 _"Shit!" the other employee growled and reached for her poke-balls before Gladion smashed into her side and her head collided with the table. Her body fell with a sickening thud a moment later, blood steadily leaking from her head._

 _The blond had no time to feel for this as he ran to Type: Null from where they were panting to catch their breath- Beast Killer they may be, they had still spent years being restricted by ice._ _"Come on," Gladion urged. "We're getting out of here."_

 _Type: Null nodded and the two made their way to the elevator as the employees burst after them. Type: Null suddenly knocked Gladion onto their back and leaped from the elevator up through the shaft. Gladion held on for dear life as they climbed through the darkness, Type: Null faltering a few times from tiredness but finally they made it to the next floor._

 _Right in front of the patron and Lusamine. "What-?!" she began, stunned._

 _Type: Null gave a deafening roar at seeing the woman, in anger and fear. Their back twitched and Gladion could see where the wings had been ripped out of their shoulders before Type: Null galloped in the opposite direction as fast as they could. The blond quickly got back his bearings and exclaimed, "Go to the right!"_

 _Type: Null obeyed and allowed Gladion to give them directions until they reached the dock and knocked away the employees' and their Pokemon. "We'll use the boat," Gladion told them and Type: Null nodded back before they made it on before Gladion steered it forward and_

 _The alarm was already going off and the blond was dismayed at seeing the dock's hatch beginning to close. But Type: Null leaped from the ship and formed three orbs of electric, flammable and freezing power and launched it at the lowering section. Two hits was all it took to keep it from descending further and they sped through and out of Aether Paradise..._

* * *

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me. All I could think of at the time was getting Null and me as far away from here as possible."

"I'm not angry with you, brother. I just..."

"Wish things were different?"

"Yes."

Though his eyes were growing heavy, Gladion focused on her little sister's face- even though she looked so afraid and conflicted, there was a strength in her that wasn't there before...

* * *

When Lillie woke up, she was still curled by her brother's side but had a slight cramp in her side from the position. Nebby was still as before and rolled from her side and onto the mattress. Ironically enough, they were the perfect size to fit in her bag now. Gingerly, she removed her hand and stumbled off the side to stretch. The clock to the side read **5:54 AM.**

Hau and Wicke were also still asleep and she took great care not to wake them as she slid Nebby into the bag- with far less resistance than she was used to- crept out of the room and made her way to the main residential area. There was police tape over the area and the door was closed. She stood, staring at the building- she had known it was a long-shot, but...

* * *

 _When she woke up, her nose was runny and her throat sore. But the soft scent of perfume was gentle on her sinuses and she felt like she was enveloped in a cocoon. She wiggled from under the soft covers and her eyes widened at the sight of her mother sound asleep next to her, arms wrapped securely around her._

 _Lillie stared dumbfounded and rubbed her eyes furiously, but the scene before her didn't change. "Mama- mama," she whispered, shaking the older blonde._

 _Mother stirred, eyes fluttering open- her eyes and nose were red and looked raw, but the dark circles underneath her eyes seemed to have grown lighter. "Lillie...? Is something wrong?"_

 _The little girl quickly shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong!" she blurted before coughing from the excertion on her throat._

 _Mother was already getting out of bed before she could protest and took a bottle of cough syrup and a pitcher of water. After swallowing down the sickeningly sweet stuff, she returned to the bed and Lillie happily snuggled up next to her..._

* * *

 _I doubt after this I'll ever be able to sleep in that bed again._

Shame and worry gripped her harder than ever- here she was thinking of something so small when there was so much happening! She gripped at opposite arms, nails starting to dig into the skin hard. _Why_ couldn't she have told Asalie the truth then and there? Why did it take her brother, injured and barely able to breath, to spell it out for her when it all but too late?

 _I could have made this all so much easier but I was too scared and too weak to speak,_ she thought despairingly.

 _Mother was right about me from the beginning._

As she was about to leave, she noticed six figures looking over the sea. Pellimore stood the straightest, with darker circles under her amber eyes. Bishop was twitching and buzzing back and forth, deeply worried. Ruby looked all but crushed, eyes fixed at the sea. Kumonga hovered over the five as though trying to shield them. Ifrit scowled deeply before sharply shooting at the sea with a snarl. Titus looked at them all with confusion and deep sadness.

 _Of course they're worried. Their trainer is in a place they can't reach her, where they can't protect her..._

As she debated whether or not to go to them, Pellimore perked and turned around to see her. **"Scraw!"** she hooted and flew to her side- the others followed after quickly, though Titus eyed her with a silent resentfulness.

"H-hello, everyone," she said, feeling a little overwhelmed at being surrounded by them.

Had it really only been five months ago that the powerful looking Decidueye before her had been the roly-poly Rowlet that she had watched Professor Kukui hatch? She remembered when the Magneton had been a timid Magnemite, looking onward at his future trainer until they couldn't stand by when she was in danger. The Midnight Lycanroc had been a cheerful and adventurous Rockruff that could put Amarillo to shame with her spirit. Though she had never seen the Araquanid in his previous form, he had remained stalwart and supporting. The Magmorter hadn't changed all that much from when she had been a Magby but she seemed to have become even more cunning thanks to her training. The Alolan Vulpix's spry and happy-go-lucky attitude looked to have all but died down but he was still standing tall.

 _I can see everything she's done for them- how they've grown and how they've become stronger._

 **"Scree."**

Pellimore's hoot snapped the blonde out of her self-loathing before she startled at the Decidueye being just a few inches away from her with Ruby, Kumonga and Bishop looking on satisfied while Ifrit and Titus looked resentful but resigned. A moment later, something cool and smooth was pressed into her hands and the blonde stared at the poke-ball as Pellimore looked at her expectantly.

Her hand tightened into a fist. _They've all become so strong- and I'm still the same,_ she thought with shame. _If I had just told her the truth, then maybe they wouldn't be without her. And yet..._

She reached for Pellimore but her arm fell short and slumped against her side. The Decidueye closed the gap between them and placed her forehead against the blonde's. The gesture made her hat become lopsided and a breeze whipped it off her head and to the sea. Though her arm was outstretched to grab at it, the action felt more half-hearted than before.

 _Maybe mother was right about me- but that doesn't mean I can't do something regardless. That doesn't mean I can just sit around and complain about things, Maybe I'm not strong, maybe I'm not brave- but there are still things I can do!_

* * *

AHAHAHAHAHAA THIS CHAPTER DID NOT WANT TO BE WRITTEN

I'm REALLY sorry this took so long but also not- real life has been beating me over the head and it has NOT. BEEN. FUN. From trying to get a new job to the emotional turbulence this time of year always seems to bring out of me, it's been trying just to sit down and write.

Also... Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. On the one hand, SUPER excited. On the other... money -_-;


	35. Chapter 35

CottonMouth25: Thanks. Thing is, it's not even writer's block that's the problem- I've literally had very little time to sit down actually write and the time I'm able I'm too tired either physically or emotionally to do so.

Guest: :D

LilMate: I am aware.

Gigarot: Good to be back.

Though for all we know, Ultra Sun and Moon are sequels like B2W2.

Iron-ninja: Thanks, that means a lot :)

* * *

Hau stirred as he heard something rustling a little ways away, though it didn't wake him fully. For the next ten minutes, he was between the threshold of sleep and wakefulness and he only woke fully when he heard someone get up fully.

He yawned and rubbed at his eyes before seeing Gladion stumble against the wall, face pinched in pain. He looked around the room and saw Miss Wicke still asleep- another glance saw that Lillie's bag was gone and Asa-

 _Oh. Right._

The green-haired boy slumped against his bed, the previous day rushing back to him- being taken by Team Skull (Who were really different from what he thought they were), Asa coming to rescue him, Lillie being taken, Aether Paradise and Mr. Faba and Miss Lusamine being crazy, Asa's brother being a Zygarde, Asa disappearing after Guzma and Miss Lusamine...

 _Miss Lusamine is Gladion and Lillie's mom._

The thought itself was surreal but looking at the older boy and remembering his friend, Hau could see the similarities- if only physical- between them.

 _Aw man,what am I thinking?! There's like- a million more important things going on!_ he mentally scolded himself.

Even though they had talked about finding the legendary Pokemon, they still didn't have many leads. Meanwhile, those Ultra Beasts were in Alola and Asa was stuck in their world- stuck with Guzma and Miss Lusamine- without anyone to help her. That thought alone was enough to make him jump out of bed and grab his sandals and bag. Miss Wicke stirred at the noise before slowly pulling herself up despite her injuries.

"Yong master... please don't push yourself... too much," she half chided, half yawned.

Gladion gave a thin smile that didn't mask his concern for the woman. "You're one to talk, when you're more injured than I am."

"I would... appreciate you... putting your sass... _in your pocket."_

The blond actually looked a little nonplussed at this and gave a small, "Yes, ma'am."

Hau couldn't help the grin on his face but he could muffle the laugh building in his throat. He knew that Gladion wasn't really a bad guy, even if he was gloomy, way too serious and purposefully cryptic in a way that was generally unhelpful and incredibly annoying to deal with. But now that they were on the same side, they could work together properly.

 _And once we find Asa, then the four of us'll be great friends- she and Gladion could probably get along, since they're a lot a like._

Gladion's eyes flickered around the room, frowning. Hau followed his gaze and remembered that Lillie wasn't there. "I'll go look for her," he said before the blond could open his mouth.

"... right."

* * *

Aether Paradise was a lot emptier than usually, though the police tape might have had to do with that. Hau didn't really understand what was going on with the employees- even Mr. Faba's explanation all but sailed over his head, though he knew it was really bad for the people who took the serum.

Those who were affected by the serum were quarantined in one of the unused spaces for enlarging the conservative ( _If Asa were here, she'd probably talk about "actual irony"_ ) and those in critical condition were in the infirmary. He didn't know if Ashwin was in one area or another or if Daniel would be given a chance to recover properly in his position.

 _I hope they'll all be okay..._

As he made his way to the outside, he noticed someone- a girl who looked about his age, staring out to the rising sun and disappearing moon.

 _She's really pretty..._

Then she turned around the Hau's mouth dropped like a trapdoor. "LILLIE?!"

She winced at his shout before saying, "Hau- good morning."

"Wha- what the heck happened to you?!" Hau blurted, mouth dry.

She gave a little smile as she turned a bit so he could see them properly- a white sports skort, short sleeved white hoodie with light blue strings and pale blue sneakers and socks. Even her hair was different, pulled back in a high pontyail.

"There was a discount on them in Malie City- I bought them without thinking and I just remembered them this morning."

She gave a sheepish smile. "It's a little strange wearing new clothes after so long- do they suit me?"

"They sure do! You- _you look fantastic!"_ he exclaimed before he could stop himself, though it was far from a lie.

The smile she gave him was much wider than any she gave before and had much more powerful emotion behind it- it was like the shy and withdrawn girl he had known for the past few months had transformed overnight. It was like she was shinning as brightly as the sun above them now.

Lillie looked back to the sea. "It's strange- there's so much happening but I don't feel discouraged or afraid. Rather, there's so much I want to do. Save Nebby, save my mother, save Asalie- and tell them all how I really feel."

Hau's stomach clenched unexpectedly at that but Lillie continued, "I wanted to be like her- no, I still want to be like Asalie. I want to be strong enough to get back on my feet no matter how many times I get knocked down!"

 _That's right- Asa really likes Lillie, and I'll bet Lillie feels the same way for Asa._

He smiled, though it didn't have the energy it usually had. "So, is this like your Z-Powered form?" he joked.

Lillie looked surprised before giving a laugh. "I suppose it is! Shall I practice my own Z-Move?"

She crossed her arms, spread them out before crossing against her forehead and chest similar to Ilima's Breakneck Blitz. Hau remembered when the two of them had practiced their own Z-Moves with Kai.

* * *

 _"Are you sure there's no other way to use Z-Moves?" Asalie had asked one day during their break._

 _"You mean can we do Z-Moves without actually using the moves?" Kai reiterated._

 _"Why would you wanna do that?" Hau wondered._

 _"Look, don't take this the wrong way- but I feel... I feel silly doing them!" Asalie admitted, face red. "I feel like I'm on Super Sentai or JoJo- can't we flood our Pokemon with power without doing the poses?"_

 _"Are you saying you don't enjoy doing them or that you feel embarrassed doing them?"_

 _"... yes?"_

* * *

 _She enjoyed it- she couldn't apply it in battle really well back then, but she enjoyed it,_ Hau thought as he remembered the exhilarated and proud grin on her face when she successfully performed a Bloom Doom with Pellimore.

Speaking of which-

"Are those Asa's poke-balls?" he asked, finally noticing the belt around her waist and the six capsules.

Lillie nodded, expression becoming serious. "Pellimore trusts me to lead them until we find Asalie."

At that, the green-haired boy looked at his bag where his team's capsules were. _Before, we kept needing to be saved by Asa and her team- but now, she's gone._

His hand clenched harder. _I need to get stronger- strong enough so I can stand on my own too- so I can protect the smiles of the people around me._

That was when he remembered he had yet to even do Acerola's trial. _Aw geez, I've got a lot of catching up to do,_ he thought with a sweat-drop.

"So this is where you are."

They turned around to see Officers Looker and Anabel come to them along with Gladion, leaning on Type: Null- who seriously needed a better nickname and no longer had the sledge-hammer helmet- and the trench coat and female officers, the latter holding a dark blue case.

"Gladion! Are you sure you can be on your feet?" Lillie asked in concern.

"I'll be all right- besides, there's too much to do for me not to be up."

"Indeed," Officer Looker said. "Come inside if you would- we have much to discuss."

* * *

The six of them relocated inside on the first floor and the two officers listened to the plan they had started the previous night.

"So your plan is to find the Legendary Pokemon- either Solgaleo or Lunala- in order to open an Ultra Wormhole directly into the Ultra Beast's world, find your friend as well as the missing Lusamine Paradisi. Is that correct?" Officer Looker summarized.

"Yes, that's right."

"It's a foolish plan," Officer Anabel said immediately, gaze stern. "Say you do open up a Wormhole- you'll just invite more Ultra Beasts into this world with such an attempt and endanger many innocent people and Pokemon."

"But Asa's our friend! She fought Miss Lusamine to protect us!" Hau protested.

"I am truly sorry, but we can't risk bringing more beasts into our world for the sake of one trainer, however exceptional she may be."

"Then will you risk it for our mother? She was the one who brought them here, and there's a great chance she'll be able to put an end to it just as easily," Gladion suggested.

"But can you say with full confidence that would she cooperate?"

The older blond couldn't answer this before Officer Anabel continued, "And even if we agreed to such a plan, we have neither the time or the manpower to spare between searching for and capturing the Ultra Beasts, getting word to the islands and evacuating the surrounding archipelago. Even discussing this is eating away at our time."

Her gaze became cold. "And if you were to continue in this endeavor..." her sentence trailed off but the promise of incarceration was all but stated.

Gladion grimaced and Hau deflated at this. But Lillie didn't look down as she said, "Even if you do defeat the Ultra Beasts, they could either escape or they could harm your officers. Unless we have a way to get to their world, we can't bring them back or make sure they don't return. We _need_ the Legendary Pokemon if they can create and close the Ultra Wormholes. And even if it all is just a legend, we lose nothing if it's just us looking!"

Gladion blinked in surprise at his sister's vehemence while the two Officers mulled this over. "Right! By the way, what's with the case?" Hau agreed before pointing to it.

"We found this in Lusamine Paradisi's quarters," Officer Looker replied and opened it up.

Inside was a pure white flute with indigo designs that made a moon on it. Lillie's eyes widened in recognition before pulling a book out of her bag and opening it to a page that showed a picture of two shadows- one a Pyroar and the other a Noivern- and two flutes by them, the one under the Noivern shadow matched the flute before them perfectly.

"Um... what does this mean?" Hau asked.

"This is the Moon Flute, an artifact from Ancient Alola!" Lillie explained.

"Remarkable..." Officer Looker whispered as he read the page. "So the way to summon the Legendary Pokemon would be to play this and the Sun Flute together."

"But why would mother have this?"

"Looks like that woman had plans to add the Legendary Pokemon to her collection as well," Gladion mused with a small scowl.

"So we got one flute and so we gotta find the other. We also gotta steer clear of those Ultra Beasts, find a way to their world and rescue Asa!" Hau listed their objectives off.

"We may not have officers to spare, but we do have allies outside the police force..." Officer Looker mused.

"Looker..." the female officer said in a warning tone.

"With all due respect," the trenchcoat officer said dutifully but with a gaze that was just as fixed, "they make a valid point. Perhaps we capture or destroy the beasts- what if it merely agitates them further? If we find a way to get them back their world, then we can keep them from ever coming back- and having the Legendary Pokemon on our side would grant us an invaluable asset-"

 **SLAM!**

Hau winced as Officer Anabel's hand slammed down on the table. _"We are not risking bringing any more of those monsters here, for whatever reason! That is final!"_

She grabbed the flute out of Lillie's hands, whirled around and stalked out of the room. Officer Looker looked after her with frustration and sympathy before turning to the three teens. He looked ready to say something but then closed his mouth and followed after her, the door closing tightly.

"... that could have gone better," Hau said weakly.

Gladion sighed as he rubbed his temple. "Great- at least we've got a clue in finding what we're looking for. But we're gonna have to move fast."

Lillie nodded determinedly. "All right, let's go!"

But as they went to the door, two officers with Machoke stopped them- Gladion looked back at the two and then to Silvally. Before they had a chance to move in, the three teens boarded Silvally's back and the chimera Pokemon smashed through officer and Pokemon.

"Where're we gonna go?!" Hau exclaimed as he clung to Lillie's back, stomach fluttering for reasons beside their escape.

"There aren't any boats we can take- we're going to have to swim for it!" Gladion declared.

"Wait! I've got a better idea!" the green-haired boy exclaimed and clumsily got out his page rider and typed the necessary buttons. "Get us outside, Silvally!"

The chimera Pokemon nodded to this and took a sharp turn, nearly knocking Hau off, before racing to the conservation area. However, they were halted as pink energy surrounded Silvally and forced them to turn around to face Officer Anabel and her scarred Alakazam.

"International Police," she stated, expression frigid. "You are under arrest for police brutality and obstruction of justice."

Silvally snarled as they struggled harder and the Alakazam was visibly struggling to keep them where they were- then, the glass of the conservative shattered as Kaia flew down to them. This distraction was enough to break the psychic type's concentration and Silvally leaped onto her back.

"Go Kaia- as fast as you can!" Hau shouted as the three of them clutched at her back while Gladion returned Silvally and the lithe Dragonite obeyed, giving a roar as she smashed through the window, leaving behind another hole.

* * *

It was once said that Dragonite could circle the world in sixteen hours and could even break the sound barrier. Of course no human knew this for certain, as Dragonites were very different from one another.

While Ikuoa had been trained to ferry multiple people, Kaia had been trained for speed. While she slowed down so that the three could plan, they could still barely hear themselves over the wind and the lack of armor made them feel cold.

"Where to now?!" Hau called.

"We've got the Police on our backs now- we still need to find the Sun Flute!" Gladion got out as he looked over the map.

"What about Poni Island?!" Lillie suggested, wincing as a particularly harsh gust of wind forced her to duck down. "Perhaps we can find something there- Wicke did say that the Ruins of Hope might hold a key to help Nebby!"

"Okay then!" Hau yelled before calling to Kaia, "Hey, can you get us to Poni Island?!"

The lithe Dragonite gave a nod before adjusting her course and speed so that they didn't have to yell to make themselves heard. As Hau relaxed as best he could with Lillie so close by him, Gladion looked down. "What's wrong?" he inquired.

"Hau, I'm sorry I had to drag you and Asalie into our family mess. Neither of you should have gotten mixed up in our mother's machinations," before looking back to Lillie. "And nothing I say can excuse leaving you to deal with her all by yourself."

The blonde shook her head. "I told you before it was all right- I know what I have to do now. And... maybe this sounds strange, but I'm kind of excited. Even though so many awful things have happened, I feel like I can handle myself."

"Lillie..."

"Me too!" Hau put in with a nod before looking back to Gladion. "Even if things might have been better, I'm really glad I met you both! If we hadn't, we wouldn't have got to see things that almost no one would ever get a chance to see! And when I get stronger, I'll be able to see even more amazing stuff like that again!"

Gladion's expression became half sour, half exasperated. "Yeah, our mother does like to do things on an... extravagant level."

"Yeah- and maybe you'll be able to see it with us too!"

The older blond didn't reply to this but Lillie's grin widened further, "That sounds wonderful!" and her brother flushed at this, muttering, "Maybe..."

* * *

"I see- that's a pretty tall order, considering I'm supposed to be here on vacation."

["Regardless, the plan we have now is short-term at best."]

"I get it- and you're sure you can't change her mind."

["No. I have never seen her act this way before- though I don't blame her."]

"Fine. I'll make sure they won't get their heads bitten off."

["Thank you."]

Grimsley closed his cellphone with a decisive click from where he stood outside of Aether House. Acerola was with Officer Nanu helping evacuate the Ula'Ula people, Lark and Freesia included. The skull grunts were surprisingly docile, even offering to help clear the island out.

 _Poor kid- she doesn't deserve the shit she's being given,_ he thought of his younger cousin before preparing to bring his Honchkrow out.

 _"Hold it right there, Grimsley of the Unova Elite Four!"_

The dark-type user froze at the voice and his hand went to his poke-balls before seeing a blond boy and a dark haired and skinned girl run up to him. "Sorry to bother you, but would you happen to know where we can find Professor Kukui? We just got here and we've been looking everywhere for him?" the blond asked.

"That depends, who's asking?" Grimsley said.

At that, the two posed for a moment before the blond began, "Dexio-"

"- and Sina!" the dark-haired woman finished.

 _"The Kalos Defe-"_

Grimsley was already bringing out his Honchkrow before Sina leaped onto him to keep him grounded. "C'mon, don't be like that! We're supposed to be allies!"

The vampire-like man glared at her with thinly veiled exasperation before Dexio quickly explained, "We're here on behalf of Professor Sycamore to help smooth several things over- whether battle or research, we're here to help! But most importantly-"

The blond pulled something from his bag and Grimsley's eyes widened at the hexagonal shaped container that had the same color scheme as the Zygarde with one Asalie Nalani.

"We're here to return Zygarde to their home."


	36. Chapter 36

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: Yes. Yes she is :)

(Abridged!Marik's voice) "Surprise bitch- betcha thought you'd seen the last of me."

Guest: :D

Considering the Ultra Beasts fucked up her world, Anabel isn't keen on anything bringing them back, regardless of the good it might do. (You can find this in chapter 1.)

They evolved in chapter 33.

Gigarot: Like things aren't already beyond her control ^^;

* * *

Officer Anabel was not an easily rattled woman. Years of being a trainer, surviving what was the end of her world and rebuilding a new life for herself made sure of that. But watching those three children escape with the intent of opening up the Ultra Wormhole made her both furious and terrified.

Her Alakazam- Solomon- looked distinctly disappointed in himself but Anabel set a hand on his shoulder. "Even if the legend is true, they can't do anything without this," she reassured him- and herself- as she gestured to where the Moon Flute was put away in her bag.

Though part of her was deeply, deeply tempted to track down the three kids, she had neither the time nor manpower to pursue them- and the fact that she held what they needed to possibly open them up would at least keep them from doing anything stupid. For now, Anabel would do her job and protect the people of Alola from the Ultra Beasts.

"Officer Looker, I'm putting you in charge of gathering everything that can be used as evidence here," she told the officer after he hastily put his phone away.

As she gathered up her squadron, one Sophia Wicke approached her despite her injuries. "If you're going to ask me to go easy on those three-" Anabel began only for the woman to shake her head.

"Secret Lab B... has something... that can help you."

Anabel went down to the lab and indeed found a pale blue sphere with several constrictions along the outside. According to the reports, this was a beast ball designed to capture Ultra Beasts and there were currently fifty of these beast balls functional. While she harbored no intent to leave the Beasts alive, having a fail safe- and with a ridiculously high catch rate according to the notes- was not unwanted.

After putting them away safely in her bag, Anabel took her squadron with her and departed Aether Paradise before contacting the other stations on the islands. Other Police forces had been mobilized across each island and were doing their best to keep the civilians away from the Ultra Beasts.

If there was anything that gave her hope in this, it was the knowledge that the world she had stumbled into was better equipped to combat the Ultra Beasts than her old one. With Z-Powers and Mega Evolution, Anabel knew that the trial captains and kahunas could wield these powers and go toe-to-toe with the Ultra Beasts should the need arise.

But there would always be the chance that it wouldn't be enough.

Hand clutched around her main poke-ball, Anabel kept her gaze squarely ahead. After an hour of sailing, they reaching Melemele Island. Anabel wasted no time in making her way to Hau'oli City. The streets were all but deserted save for the police, along with a battered Kahuna Hala, Trial Captain Ilima and the Melemele gate-keepers- and a yellow tattooed creature with shield-like gauntlets and sharp eyes that many of the trainers were either giving a wide berth or were staring in amazement at.

Anabel had only heard of the Guardian Deity Pokemon in passing but to see one in the flesh was another experience entirely. The fact that they were clearly involved in the fighting spoke volumes to her already.

"Ultra Beasts, eh?" the kahuna mused after she explained what happened. "There were two that Tapu Koko and I engaged- one was red and muscled with four legs, the other cream-colored and svelte."

"Buzzwole and Pheromosa," Anabel concluded- she remembered how much trouble those two had been, the former capable of destroying sections of mountains while the latter could confound it's opponents while slashing away at them before they even realized it.

Tapu Koko seemed to bristle at this and Anabel saw the dents in the gauntlets and how narrow their gaze was. "They were last seeing going towards Route 3 and no one's seen them loop around yet. So the only places they could be right now is Verdant Cavern or Melemele Meadow," Ilima spoke up, hand trembling with anticipation.

Anabel's mind raced- the soundest plan so far was to enact a pincer movement from Route 2 and Route 1 to box them inside so they have less room. Given that the kahuna and trial captain know more of the terrain, they could use that to their advantage. However, previous encounters had used these same tactics against them and half of them ended in failure because the Ultra Beasts just powered on through.

 _It's not going to end like that,_ she thought fiercely, hand clenching as she asked, "And you're certain you've been able to get all non-combatants to safety?"

Kahuna Hala looked forlorn as he stated, "We got as many out as we could but not everyone was able to make it onto the boat before it left. We have them hidden for now with available trainers protecting them."

"Then let's move out as quickly as possible," the officer declared.

* * *

Ten minutes later and after divvying up the beast balls, their groups divided into three- Anabel took her squad and moved from Route 1 to Melemele Meadow while Ilima would be on Route 2. Hala would take a third group that would move in should either require his assistance or if the Ultra Beasts try to make a run for it.

As for Tapu Koko, they rushed into the air above Route 3, ready to come to assistance should any party need it.

 _Ilima knows Verdant Cavern best since it's his trial area and my team is best suited for boxing in the enemy,_ Anabel reviewed as she kept her eyes peeled over the yellow flowers.

But as her eyes scanned over the area, Anabel began to become concerned- she saw no sign of anything out of the ordinary. If Buzzwole was there, it'd be making sure that no one could take their eyes off it. Even Pheromosa would be darting around and she'd at least see a string of Pokemon trying to go after it.

She opened up her map and looked over the area where the Ultra Beasts were spotted. _There's no where else they'd be besides here and Verdant Cavern and we didn't see any on the way here,_ she thought with a frown. _Where else would- wait, what's that?_

There was a section of the map just outside of Melmele Meadow- Kala'e Bay, just outside of Route 1.

 _But it's surrounded by water- Pheromosa doesn't go near it and Buzzwole can't swim,_ Anabel thought, trying to wrap her head around this before she heard a deep **thud** reverberate across the meadow.

Her hand already threw out her Salemance- Hida- as another thud ran out and Anabel tried to follow the sounds. Her eyes fell on a small hollow in the stone walls surrounding the meadow and barked to her squad, "Keep the entrance guarded-"

A moment later, screams rang out and Anabel whirled around to see the cave entrance had collapsed and the officers that had been behind them had been crushed. Above them, a Buzzwole flexed harshly. The remaining officers shrieked in surprise and distress at their comrades fall and the appearance of an Ultra Beast but Anabel barked, "Focus! Start up Mega Evolution- we can't let them escape!"

Startled, they still obeyed and brought out a Heracross, Audino, Gengar and Pidgeot as they reached for their badges and Anabel followed their example. Light filled the meadow- Heracross now had an extended horn and nose with red streaks across it's carapace, Audino turned white with fairy-like ears, Gengar's hands and feet grew attached to the ground as a third eye opened, Pidgeot gained brilliant red and blue plumage down it's wing's and crest and Hida resembled a crescent moon almost but it did nothing to take away his fighting power and added to his speed.

 **SHRAGABAGAGA!** the Buzzwole bellowed as it leaped into the fray.

Mega-Gengar swiftly activated it's Shadow Tag ability and the Buzzwozzle shrieked in confusion as it's shadow grabbed ahold of it- while this did not stop it completely, it did greatly hamper it's movement. Heracross and Pidgeot shot at the Buzzwole, opening up with aerial ace while Anabel directed Hida to attack from behind.

She wouldn't let it leave alive.

* * *

Ilima hadn't felt this on edge entering his own trial area since he was first given the title. Just the thought of a completely unknown creature capable of killing and maiming the people he had promised to nurture and protect made his stomach clench.

Ilima loved battling- loved the adrenaline, the thrill, the joy of victory, the sting of defeat- but battling when lives are on the line?

The trainers around him kept their eyes peeled, poke-balls in hand as they carefully moved through Verdant Cavern. The familiar scuffling of the Yongoose and Rattara moving out of their burrows, the faint wingbeats of Zubat were completely absent, the only sounds inside being the echoing of their footsteps.

 _I will either encounter a hulking mass of muscles or a lithe and graceful form,_ the pink-haired trainer thought, remembering Officer Anabel's descriptions of the two.

He didn't expect anything less than someone of the International Police, certainly one who was one of their highest ranking officers. But Ilima couldn't help wondering where she had gotten so much information about these creatures from.

 _I hears stories of monsters unlike Pokemon coming to Alola but I assumed they were just boogeyman stories_ , Ilima reflected. Is she a scholar or did she encounter these creatures before-

 **Kygarara...**

Ilima froze at the sound as it cut through the air and the trainers with him halted in their tracks. He looked around sharply but could find no trace of anything in sight, though he knew already that that meant little.

"Keep your guard up," he spoke to them in a low voice as he brought out his Gumshoos and Smeargle.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ilima saw the moss bend beneath pressure before it shifted back. Then, dust on the walls by them flitted to the ground. A moment later, a great gust of wind began to coil around the trainers and Ilima faintly saw three figures- or they could just be after-images. Either way, the figure(s?) resembled the Pheromosa Officer Anabel described.

"Use aerial ace!" one of the trainers shouted and her Trumpeak made contact-

\- only for the attacking wing to be shredded off from the sheer speed the Pheromosa were traveling at. The Trumpeak shrieked in pain as the trainer tried to return them. Then, the Pheromosa leaped away, hissing angrily as it waved it's appendage to get off the blood and feathers.

"Sketch!" Ilima barked but Smeargle was motionless, staring at Pheromosa entranced and a quick glance showed the other Pokemon were in similar states.

Close inspection showed that even their trainers had froze, staring at the three Ultra Beasts with adoration. "Wha-?! Wait!" Ilima exclaimed as they began to walk towards the Pheromosa, deaf to his pleas.

As his Gumshoos and Smeargle came closer and closer to Pheromosa, Ilima quickly touched his Z-Stone and performed the poses, shouting in desperation, _ **"Breakneck Blitz!"**_

Gumshoos froze as the energy filled them and gave a roar as he charged forward and smashed the Pheromosa in front of him into the wall. Smeargle hissed as his tail swished too and fro, pasting bright green pain all over the other Pheromosa's face and blinding it. The trainers by him seemed to snap out of it as well from the exposure to Z-Power and they quickly activated their own Z-Moves.

Trumpeak, Gumshoos, Raticate and Herdier swarmed the Pheromosa, brimming with power. The three Ultra Beasts stared confused at their pheromones not working but then slashed back, the air pressure being enough to force a way through.

"Keep going! Bre **akneck Blitz!"** Ilima barked, even as sweat rolled down his face and his body trembled with exertion.

* * *

Hala kept his eyes peeled along with the gate-keepers. He wasn't used to the silence in Melemele, the noises of humans and Pokemon alike no longer occupying the space. He could still see Tapu Koko hovering above the route, alert and poised.

Since the battle with the two Ultra Beasts had ended, Hala had expected that Tapu Koko would disappear once more- but he was less astounded than he expected when they stayed to make sure that the civilians and non-combatants were brought to safety.

He still remembered seeing the image of a scarred man for just a moment over Tapu Koko. _The tales that suggested the Tapus were once the Kahunas of Alola in it's Golden Age have gained more credence in this last day,_ the kahuna thought to himself with a small smile.

He had never expected to become kahuna in his earlier days, just content to battle and live with his Pokemon- he eventually trained under the previous kahuna but only to hone his skills so his Pokemon wouldn't be hurt in battle. But when she was stabbed in the back trying to protect a family from a mugging and had maybe hours left before she succumbed to her wound, she passed Hala as his successor.

Hala could never have been ready to become kahuna- he could never be ready for the responsibility, the anxiety and the expectations of the people around him now that he bore the title. He also could never be ready for the strain it put on his family- his wife remained steadfast but he knew she was weary from everything happening and she eventually succumbed to illness. When his son became a trainer, people all about assumed he would be the next kahuna. Added with the trauma of losing his wife in childbirth, his son left Melemele and hadn't been seen since.

The kahuna was brought out of his memories when he heard both a deep thudding against the ground and a burst of wind following it. The next moment, a Buzzwole and Pheromosa burst from opposite directions on either side of Hala. He took note of the bruises on their bodies and knew that these were the same Ultra Beasts he and Tapu Koko had come across yesterday.

The gate-keepers quickly surrounded the two with their Pokemon but the Pheromosa and Buzzwole paid them no mind, attention focused on Hala. "While I'd be more than happy to give you two a rematch, I have neither the luxury nor time," he stated as he brought his team out and called to the gate-keepers as he reached for his Z-Ring, "Give everyth **ing you've got!"**

* * *

Orion Kukui was not a man who easily lost his cool. A lifetime of battling, traveling, new outlooks and ideas had molded him into an easy-going but overly calm person emotionally.

But even his nerves were tested with everything that was happening- the creatures his wife studied coming into Alola and threatening their lives, getting a call from his colleague Augustine Sycamore about a misplaced Legendary Pokemon and the appearance of Elite Four member Grimsley with two of Sycamore's students who requested his presence at Aether Paradise.

"Go- I'll be fine," Magnolia Burnet assured him and kissed his cheek.

Even with her reassurance, Kukui's stomach was already dropping as he flew to Aether Paradise. Along with Grimsley and ones Sina and Dexio, Officer Looker was waiting for him as well and the two filled him in on what had happened. Sina had already hooked up a labtop to the green and black object- the Zygarde Cube as they called it- and Dexio had set up a tube that housed several green cells as the two men finished their recap.

"So you've already come across Zygarde and it was helping Asalie rescue Hau from Team Skull?" Kukui tried to wrap his head around Grimsley's explanation but his worry for the young trainers was making it rather hard.

The fact that one Astin Nalani had been hospitalized after it was revealed that he had been the Zygarde itself and Asalie disappearing into the Ultra Beast's world along with his former friend and the president of Aether Paradise only made his headache worse. He would worry how to explain this to Ashwin but the man was deaf to the world thanks a'la mini coma.

While he worried for the family, Kukui knew he couldn't do anything for them at the moment and tried to focus on what he was brought there for. _Why would Zygarde be in Alola and how could Astin turn into Zygarde?_

* * *

By the time Kaia reached Poni Island, the sun was high in the sky.

The village before the three teens- as it was indeed small enough to be classified as such- had several boats that seemed to house more people than the sparse cottages that were built into the rock. Behind them was a expansive landscape of plains, mountains and groves.

"So this is Poni Island- it doesn't look like the smallest island," Gladion remarked, eyes wide as he surveyed the land before them.

"Well, a lot of people don't live here because of the crazy-strong Pokemon," Hau explained. "There's a reason it's the last stop on the Island Challenge."

"Now, we find the kahuna," Lillie said, cracking her book open. "There's a chance they know of the Legendary Pokemon and how to find them. We can also tell them what's happening across Alola is they haven't heard yet."

"... OH SHOOT!"

The siblings were startled by Hau's sudden horrified exclamation. "What's wrong?" Lillie asked, concerned.

"Rotom-Dex! We completely forgot about them!" the green-haired boy cried.

Gladion blinked, confused. "What's a-?"

"Oh no! Were they in Asalie's bag when mother threw it off?" Lilie realized in horror.

"Oh man, oh man, this is really bad! They're not even water-proof and I don't think anyone's gotten her bag out of the water yet!" Hau began to panic.

The older blond looked at the two with mild confusion and some annoyance that they weren't answering his question before setting a hand on both their heads. "There's no use worrying about this now- we can't go back."

The two looked at him with varying levels of upset, the green-haired boy looking close to tears as he protested, "They're our friend! They've been with Asa since she started out..."

Gladion tried to keep his expression stern but with his sister and the boy that seemed far too talented at making Lillipup eyes both looking at him sadly, he could feel his resolve starting to sway.

"NICE TO SEE SOME NEW FACES HERE!" a loud voice barked.

Gladion momentarily felt relief at a distraction as they turned to the source of the voice- that being a stout man with long black hair and beard wearing blue standing atop a Wailmer-styled boat before leaping down onto the docks with a loud thud.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" his sister asked.

"I'm the chief of the seafolk- it's my job to keep everyone together."

"'Seafolk'?"

"Yes ma'am!" the Chief declared with a thumbs up. "The people who live 'round the docks- we're navigators and nomads, traveling the world in search of adventure and wonder! Whenever we find anything, we bring it back here to trade and barter!"

"... that sounds awesome," Hau said, eyes sparkling while Gladion gave a small sigh of relief.

The Chief began to laugh at this before his eyes flitted over the bags Lillie and Hau carried, settling on the latter's Island Challenge Amulet. "So, you're here to challenge the kahuna and finish your challenge, eh?"

His expression became more grave. "You can probably find 'em at Lady Hapu's place- it's not hard to miss, as it's the only house on the island. Not to mention her Mudsale's always grazing outside it."

"This is where Hapu lives?" Lillie said in surprise.

"You know Lady Hapu?"

"Yes- I met her thanks to a friend of mine. Thank you very much for telling us, Chief!"

"Aw, don't mention it- and call me Lapis!"

* * *

The wilds of Poni took up more than ninety percent of the island, the docks being one of the few exceptions. With vast plains, hidden grottoes (Not like the ones in Unova), jet black beaches and mountains covering the island, it was both the best and worst place for trainers to come to to hone their skills.

There were also far more trainers in the wild than expected, trying to battle with any newcomers while also fending off the ridiculously strong wild Pokemon. Luckily, Lillie had plenty of max repels and sprayed it about, making Hau cough and gag while Gladion's nose wrinkled at the smell.

 _We don't have time to waste and I don't have enough experience to bring Asalie's team victory,_ she thought, gripping Pellimore's poke-ball as they slipped by an Ace Trainer's diligent eyes.

"So, this Hapu is someone Asalie introduced you to?" Gladion inquired as his Sneasel slashed through the vegetation blocking their way.

"Yes. I met her in Malie City and Asalie met her on Akala Island. She even helped us find the Ruins of Abundance. But I didn't expect that she lived on Poni Island, or that she seems to be very important here."

As they made it further in, the three teens came across a series of ruins that depicted several ancient buildings that used to stand there. Of the crumbling stone archways and rotted walls, there was a small cottage with a wall around the sides and back of the building- and sure enough, Hapu's Mudsale was grazing in the front.

"Hello Mudsale!" Lillie called and waved to the ground type.

Said Pokemon perked up but looked rather subdued as she murmured, **"Niii..."** softly and halfheartedly nuzzled at her ponytail.

The blonde looked around but saw no sign of Hapu. _I've never seen them apart before- I wonder where Hapu is..._

"Oh?"

A white-haired woman stepped onto the cottage's porch. "And who might you three be?"

"My name is Lillie- this is my friend Hau and my brother Gladion," the blonde introduced them. "We're looking for Hapu- do you know where she might be?"

The woman looked over them thoughtfully and remarked with a small smile, "So you're the friend that my Hapu met during her travels."

"You know her?"

"Indeed I do- she's my granddaughter. You can call me Hela."

"Nice to meet youl!" Hau remarked before asking, "So, could you tell us where the kahuna is? We gotta ask them something super important and we don't have a lot of time to waste!"

Hela's expression became solemn at that. "I imagine that they would be at the Ruins of Hope, by Poni Breaker Coast," she said before asking, "If I could see your page rider for a moment?"

Hau handed it to her and she typed in a few keys only for a harsh beep to ring out. The white haired woman looked up and asked, "How many Z-Crystals have you gotten in your journey?"

"I've only gotten up to Sophocles."

Hela nodded to this before she took out a toolkit and snapped open the back of the page rider. After a minute of tinkering, she handed it back to Hau and there was an option for a Sharpedo and a Machamp. "If anyone asks, you can direct them to Hela Kauie."

"Thank you very much, they'll be a great help!" Lillie said, remembering seeing Olivia's Ride Machamp and Asalie's Sharpedo. "But why would we get in trouble?"

"Certain functions of the page rider are limited by the Z-Crystals you earn from the Trial Captains and Kahunas," Hela explained. "Because your friend doesn't have enough, I couldn't update his page rider the conventional way. But considering everything that's happened, conventional's not going to get a lot done right now."

She pointed to the south. "Poni Breaker Coast is just down that way and the Ruins of Hope are where the sand and soil are pitch black."

"You've helped us so much- thank you, ma'am!"

As they were about to leave, Mudsale suddenly lumbered after them with solemn eyes. Lillie took one last look around but still saw no sign of Hapu.

 _Perhaps she's at the Ruins of Hope themselves,_ Lillie deduced and asked, "Can you show us the way?"

* * *

Poni Breaker Coast was unlike any beach Lillie had seen before- Hela had not been exaggerating when she said the sand and soil were black. Lily-pads floating in the rocky crevices and a few geysers lazily spouted steam.

 **"Nihii..."** Mudsale rumbled lowly as she plodded along, leading the three through.

I wonder if Tapu Fini will even be there- Tapu Lele and Bulu never showed up when we went to the Ruins of Life and Abundance, the thought came to Lillie.

* * *

 _"Well Tapu Koko's our island's guardian deity, yeah," Hau began before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "but more often than not, it likes to march to the beat of it's own drum!"_

* * *

 _But even if they're capricious, there's still the chance they might be there and there might even be a chance that coming here will help Nebby somehow. Tapu Fini is even able to wash away impurities with their mystic water,_ the blonde reassured herself.

 _And even if this doesn't work out, we can still find the kahuna and get answers on the Flutes. Either way, we can still move forward._

After another ten minutes, Gladion found the statues that came before each Ruins, hidden in the far back of the beach and Mudsale almost galloped down the path. The walls were covered in algae, But despite the life and movement around them, the place help an almost oppressed- and even sad- air to it.

The inside looked the same as the Ruins of Life and Ruins of Abundance, with indigo marking across the wall and crystal clear water beneath- crystal as in transparent enough that a shadow would look like inches above the water when it was so much deeper. and like before, there were the intricately carved slabs of stones blocking their way.

"All right- we can use Machamp here!" Hau said as he typed in the page rider.

Ten minutes later, a stout and muscled Machamp made it to them- however, it refused to move the slabs. "Please?! Pretty please move them?!" the green-haired boy pleaded but the fighting type wouldn't listen.

 **"HIIIII!"** Musdale rumbled and stomped her hooves down hard as she glared at the Machamp.

The Machamp startled at this display and grumbled irritably as it obeyed, the thuds of the slabs making as they were pushed into place reverberating across the hall. During this, Lillie opened her bag up. Nebby- Cosmoem- floated out of Lillie's bag with ease but they remainedas silent and still

 _"Capricious," indeed,_ Lillie thought. _Is that why there's no response from Nebby yet? No, we still haven't come to the last room yet._

Once the Machamp was done, it lumbered away with a dark look in it's eyes even as Hau thanked it before they made their way across. The room at the end was the same as the rooms in the previous temples, with indigo flowers decorating the dais and throne. And at the top was Hapu, kneeling before an old man in robes and bushy pure white hair and the same grey eyes as the shorter girl, half-sitting, half-sprawled on the dais.

In his hands, something glowed a brilliant indigo color as he handed it to her and Hapu held it close to her chest. **"I give thanks to pass on the blessings and burdens to one who has proven their merit,"** the old man croaked.

 **"I give thanks to receiving these blessings and burdens,"** Hapu spoke back, hands clenched around the object. **"As kahuna, I shall give my everything for the people and Pokemon of Alola."**

The indigo light increased before washing over Hapu, her eyes closed as it flowed over and through her. Once the light died down, the old man wrapped his arms around Hapu's frame. Lillie couldn't hear what he was saying and the old man laid down on the dais and was still. Hapu slumped to her knees, shoulders trembling as she hugged the old man to her.

* * *

Fun fact- I thought "Buzzwole" was "Buzzwozzle" before actually checking XD

Also, summer time may be my writing bane- it's when I procrastinate the most, when my emotions are fluctuating increasingly and I'm almost always needed at work. I won't say it'll be the only time where my writing's sporadic or that you can always expect it to be like that but... yeah.

As for Ultra Sun and Moon, I'm happy either way if it's a sequel (Like B2W2) or remake (Like Platinum). What I'm not happy about is the price.


	37. Chapter 37

CottonMouth25: Whoops ^^;

It's edited now- "Carapace".

theoneandonlylordmonkeyknight: "Happy happy birthday, from all of us to you~ We wish it was our birthday, so we could party too~ Happy happy birthday, may all your dreams come true~ We wish it was our birthday, so we could party too~"

Gigarot: Thank you for your understanding.

The former Salon Maiden, one of the most powerful trainers in a world, seeks retribution- Arceus help those who stand in her way.

Can you say "Shoo out the Clowns?" But in all seriousness, they'll show up eventually.

* * *

Hapu's hand still clutched at the item at her chest, the indigo glow dying down and slowly becoming cooler- she had known this day would come, but she was not ready for it to play out. Even when he was slowly becoming weaker from age, even when he started coughing to the point his throat became ragged and bloodied, Hapu couldn't find it in herself to believe that he could die.

Iole, the kahuna of Poni for over fifty years, her grandpa and teacher, was dead and gone. Now, the responsibility of looking after Poni Island and everything connected to it, fell on her shoulders.

She gently arranged her grandfather on the dais- in death, he looked more peaceful than he had in life, even when asleep. The thought brought a fresh wave of grief to the girl and mucus joined the tears streaming down her face as she hugged him to her, shoulders shaking. She knew he would be protected here, in the most sacred place on Poni Island, but it didn't make it any easier to leave.

She got back on her feet and shakily walked to the dais before she saw three people and her Mudsale through tear-clouded eyes. Her gaze became sharp, already reaching for her poke-balls before Mudsale whined gentle and trotted over to the stairs. **"Nii!"**

Hapu wiped at her face, trying to clear her vision. "M-Mu-" she tried to speak but her throat closed up from the mucus building up.

She reached almost blindly to the ground horse as she reached the bottom of the dais and Mudsale lowered her muzzle to nuzzle at her head. She wanted to cry into her partner's chest, wanted nothing more to grieve.

 _I am the Kahuna of Poni Island. My duty is to protect the land and creatures inhabiting it,_ she kept repeating in her head. _There will be time to mourn- just not now._

Hapu pushed herself off of Mudsale and wiped her face one more time before looking to the three- she recognized Lillie on the spot, albeit barely. This wasn't just because of the new outfit and hairstyle- even with her expression solemn, the new Kahuna saw that the blonde was carrying herself differently. It was as though she had cracked open the shell she had been hiding in before and was ready to go all out.

The two boys with her she wasn't familiar with but she could see they were familiar with Lillie- the older blond was probably a relative and the green-haired boy resembled Kahuna Hala. But Asalie was no where to be seen.

She took a shuddering breath to compose herself as the green-haired boy began to speak. "We're- we're sorry for intruding..."

Hapu shook her head. "Y-you had no way of knowing what would h-happen here," she got out, voice thick even as she tried to keep the same calm and relaxed tone from before. "Th-there is no need to apologize f-for... anything."

The green-haired boy nodded half in understanding while the blond was becoming more visibly uncomfortable.

"I was brought here to-to become Poni's Kahuna. To protect the land and all creatures who inhabit it," she forced out, trying to make her voice even even as her breath shuddered.

Hapu closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing before she looked up at Lillie. "Let's- let's go."

* * *

The now five left the Ruins of Hope behind and returned to Hapu's home- she met Hela's eyes and gave ajerking nod forward. The old woman pulled her granddaughter into a tight hug but the girl gentle pushed her away. "We have no time- we need to speak."

Hela nodded in understanding and gestured to the upstairs. "If you need anything, I'm down here."

They followed her to a room with a mattress on the ground, some bookshelves and a chair and desk with several papers on it. Gladion settled on the chair while Lillie and Hau took the makeshift bed. "It hasn't been very long since our last meeting, but you certainly look mighty different from last I saw you," Hapu remarked at the blonde.

"Yes. Many things have happened since the Ruins of Abundance," Lillie agreed, just as seriously before gesturing to the two boys. "This is my brother, Gladion. And my friend, Hau."

"Hi," Hau said with a tiny wave while Gladion remained silent.

Hapu nodded in acknowledgement before asking, "And might I ask where Asalie might be?"

Lillie's eyes closed for a moment, trying to compose herself- even with more company around her than usual, it did nothing to distract from the missing presence. After a few moments, Lillie told Hapu what had happened after she and Asalie left- from Hau being taken by Team Skull and herself being taken to Aether to the Asalie, Guzam and her mother disappearing into the Beast's World and fleeing from Officer Anabel.

"I see- the monster my grandfather, Tapu Fini and I fought from before must have been an Ultra Beast," Hapu said. "But why come here?"

Lillie pulled out the book and turned to the page with the Sun and Moon flutes. "We're looking for this," she explained, pointing to the orange instrument. "Legends say that these two flutes can summon a Legendary Pokemon."

"'The Beast who Devoured the Sun and The Beast who Called the Moon,'" Hapu recited offhandidly.

"Miss Wicke said there was a legend that said the Legendary Pokemon can open Ultra Wormholes!" Hau jumped in. "If we can use the flutes to call them, we can go to Ultra Space!"

"But if you open another wormhole, it could invite more Ultra Beasts here- even with Tapu Fini by my grandfather and I, we barely stood a chance against that creature," Hapu pointed out. "While I would like to save Asalie as well, it would not be worth it to bring more of those creatures- _especially_ if it means that this Guzma and Lusamine can return here."

Lillie knew that Hapu made solid points- the same ones Officer Anabel was right in bringing forward- but she kept her gaze forward as she said, "If the Ultra Beasts stay here, then they will hurt and even kill others. If we can use the Legendary Pokemon's power, we can send them back to their world where they can't touch us."

"And you're not just saying this so you can have an excuse to go there ans save them?"

The blonde held Hapu's gaze, refusing to back down. Finally, Hapu closed her eyes. "Apologies. Of course you wouldn't. Keeping creatures from their home is detrimental to all in the long run."

"Then you'll help us?!" Hau exclaimed.

"I will certainly do what I can."

The green-haired boy cheered happily and Gladion breathed a sigh of relief before saying, "Back to our question, can you tell us what you know?"

"I know that at the Altar of the Sky, two flutes are needed to be played in order to summon the Legendary Pokemon. This gives the legendary Pokemon power but whether Solgaleo or Lunala is brought forth is unknown," Hapu replied.

"That's why we gotta find the Sun Flute as fast as possible!" Hau put in before admitting with some fear, "Though I'm not really keen on fighting Officer Anabel to get the Moon Flute back- she's gonna be super mad if she finds us..."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Gladion stated, though he looked just as thrilled about the prospect as he gestured to the page in Lillie's book that showed the two flutes, gesturing to the orange one. "So, have you heard or seen anything like this?"

Hapu examined it carefully before she snapped her fingers at the Moon Flute. "That looks like the flute that used to reside at the lake on Ula'Ula," before gesturing to the Sun Flute. "And the other is said to be held on Exeggutor Island- though for the life of me, I do not know how it got there, only that it's been passed down there enough so that's where it most likely is."

Lillie had read of the island, where Exeggutor from the Kanto Region were left there and how those with thinner and longer necks eventually survived longer than the bulkier and shorter grass/psychic types and eventually took on a dragon secondary type to survive. It was an uninhabited island off the Poni coast. "We can ask Chief Lapis if he can take us there."

"Then let's get going!" Hau declared, getting up onto his feet and rushing down the stairs, Gladion following at a more restrained pace.

Lillie looked to Hapu and smiled gratefully. She was about to thank the girl before she finally saw the stone she was holding and her eyes widened. "Hapu... that stone-!"

Hapu looked down at the stone with a solemn expression. "The mark of a Kahuna, chosen by the Guardian Deity that watches over their respective islands."

The blonde looked at the girl in wonder. "You're not that much older than me or Asalie..."

"Age matters not. Gender, class, race your place of birth, none of it matters before the Guardian Deity," she seemed to recite from memory, gray eyes staring ahead. "My grandfather has looked after Poni Island for decades, but illness took it's toll on him- even Tapu Fini could only hold it off for so long."

Her hand clenched around the stone. "I tried to prove myself worthy, but Tapu Fini would not choose anyone and remained with my grandfather. So I set off on my own Island Challenge to prove myself worthy to Tapu Fini- to prove I had whatever it took to take up the mantle of Kahuna and all of it's blessings and burdens."

Lillie knew that the kahunas were chosen by the Guardian Deities of the islands but that's not why she had noticed the stone.

"I've seen that stone before, not just on the other Kahuna, though. I saw it-"

"- on your Asalie's wrist," Hapu finished with a nod. "Despite her being a newcomer to Alola, Tapu Koko saw fit to give her a stone befitting a kahuna. She must have really impressed Tapu Koko despite her being a stranger to our shores."

Lillie smiled at this- of course she had impressed Tapu Koko. Even though she had been scared, Asalie had still risked her life to help someone that had been a stranger to her. How one couldn't admire that, she didn't know.

"Speaking of which, you've certainly impressed me," Hapu remarked. "You look so different from last I saw you- like I'm looking at a new you."

"Thank you, Hapu," the blonde smiled gently. "I've just discovered what I need to do. So, I guess you could call this my Z-Powered form!"

A startled laugh came from Hapu's chest and she gave a true smile. "Well, you do your best, Lillie!" and slapped her on the back. "I'd like to see the fellow who tries to call you lily-livered now! Now, let's get cracking!"

* * *

Aether Paradise's infirmary was packed to the brim with injured employees, but with the medicine and resources the artificial island had at it's disposal, it served a purpose of healing those hurt.

Apart from them, Astin Nalani laid on a gunnery, his limbs strapped in place and an oxygen mask over his mouth and an IV strapped to his arm as the heart monster beeped lazily. His skin was inflamed from the ice beams he took directly and parts of his body, including half of his face, were covered in dull green and black scales.

This didn't stop Sina from tapping at his face while taking notes. "These have the same hardness as the cells in the Zygarde Cube," she remarked while Dexio looked over the monitor- the cells inside the container were pushing against the glass, trying to get to the unconscious young man.

"They're reacting the same way when we gathered them up in the first place, trying to join with the rest of the cells," Dexio remarked, frowning as he looked at the dull scales on Astin's face. "But the cells on this man's body aren't reacting at all."

Kukui was silent throughout this, eyes locked on Astin's form. He had so many questions, he didn't know which ones to try and find answers for first. But when he looked at the young man laying there, his mind just blanked. Nothing he had encountered or seen thus far could have prepared him for something like this.

Just then, he heard a startled shout outside. Kukui went out to see an officer pulling out a Growlithe by another officer with a drowsy looking Musharna hovering next to her. The professor followed his line of sight before blinking owlishly at the sight of Asalie's sopping bag dragging against the ground, a crackling inside. He opened the zipper out and Rotom burst out, nearly smacking Kukui in the face.

 **"BZZZT-BZZZRT-BZZZZ!"** they shrieked, twitching erratically as they looked around.

"What the hell is that?!" the officer exclaimed, his Growlithe sniffing curiously at Rotom before Kukui gentle set his hands between the Plasma Pokemon. "Hey now," he murmured soothingly, trying to calm them down.

Rotom seemed to slow a little at hearing the professor's voice but they kept buzzing with energy and looking around. The officer gingerly put on gloves and examined the bag and it's contents while the other officer quickly went on her way. The pokedex itself was in pieces, shards of plastic and metal stuck in the fabric of the inside. While the bag itself was waterproof, the damage inside had turned it's contents smashed and damp.

"Aw geez, you must've been plenty scared," Kukui murmured as Rotom slowly calmed down, twitching becoming weaker.

 **"Byyyzzzrt- zzzz Zzzzzzlie? Zzzzzzlie!"** they sounded out, looking around worriedly.

The professor schooled his expression not to give away any more upset.

 **"ZZZZZ ZZZZZZLIE?! BZZZZ ZZZZZLIE! ZZZZ-zlie...!"**

The electric-ghost type suddenly flopped on the ground, panting harshly before becoming limp. Kukui quickly scooped them up and pulled out an electric charger, setting the Plasma Pokemon gently onto it. Sina and Dexio quickly looked back to their work, trying not to look awkward before the former asked, "What's that?"

Kukui followed her line of sight and saw something crumbled up on the ground. It was a picture with special coating so it was waterproof and creased- unfolding it carefully, Kukui saw six people on it albeit one crossed out harshly. Turning it over he saw five of the six names and his eyes widened.

* * *

Looker rubbed at his temple as he looked over the information having gathered from Aether, anything that hadn't been destroyed.

He had heard of Aether Foundation being the bastion of Pokemon conservative efforts and medicine. With their resources they helped save entire subspecies from going extinct, from Corsola to Farfetch'd to Dratini. Their medicine advances had been brought in by Pokemon Centers across the league-associated regions. They had even helped stop the efforts of poachers and those of the Black Market from creating mills to sell rare Pokemon.

He had seen much in his time as an officer- traveled across the regions, seen many kinds of people. He had learned far too much of the world but still had hope when seeing the efforts of those like those of Aether having such a positive impact on so many. But having proof of corruption here, in the heart of the place that had helped so many, made Looker's heart heavy and his head came to rest in his hands.

 _When did it begin- and why?_

He looked up as the door slammed open, one of the younger forensic officers- Lien- holding several discs. She was about to salute before she accidentally dropped two of the disks- luckily, she scooped them back up before setting them on the desk and quickly straightened herself out.

"Officer Looker!" Lien declared too loudly before clearing her throat and continuing in a softer tone. "Many of the documents in the Secret Labs have been destroyed or partially destroyed. However, we were able to extract information from one of the employees that suggests the existence of a third Secret Lab that was walled off. We have also found several discs similar to the Elemental Plates."

Looker's eyes narrowed at this as he nodded and got up, following Lien to the basement. The news that several documents had been destroyed didn't surprise him but they could always extract information from the employees. As they went down further, they passed a few interrogation officers with Hypno and Musharna alike, the employees memories playing out from the latter's Dream Mist.

They arrived at the far right from Secret Lab B- right away, Looker noticed the subtle line of plaster that was the same height and width of the other two Secret Lab doors. Rapping his knuckle against it, he heard the faintest echo. He nodded to Lien and she brought out a Gurdurr and Gothorita, directing it to the wall. With a few solid knocks, it smashed the wall down while Gothorita kept the dust and debris from falling inwards.

Flicking on a flashlight, Looker saw the same layout as the other labs: bookshelves, a medical table, desk near the back- and faint patches of black and red caked into the walls, ground and table.

"Bring down Officer Detect- now!" he barked.

* * *

Hida panted harshly as he came out of his mega-evolved state and Anabel quickly brought him back while the Gengar, Audin, Heracross and Pidgeot followed his example. The Buzzwole was a twitching, smoldering mess on the ground, murky black blood trickling from it's corpse.

Part of Anabel- a rather large part- was gleefully, even sadistically, triumphant over their killing of the Ultra Beast. But she knew that this was only one of many monsters and that there were still so many left out in Alola. She had her officers collect the body in one of the Beast Balls before healing their Pokemon. As they left Melemele Meadow, the officer heard faint noises of combat further down the route.

 _Either Ilima or Hala are still fighting,_ she thought before declaring, "Move out! We'll rejoin the others and offer support!"

The officers nodded or voiced their agreement, albeit rather tiredly before following her. When they reached Verdant Cavern, they found Ilima laid out on the ground, panting weakly and the other trainers tending to their bloodied Pokemon while a few others sat facing away. Anabel's face softened at the grief on their faces.

The officer knelt by the Trial captain, noticing how pale he had become and how listless his eyes were. He tried to speak but coughed harshly before trying to catch his breath. One of the trainers knelt by them with a water bottle and placed it at Ilima's lips, helping him drink.

"We couldn't catch them," she explained, eyes wide. "We tried but it was all we could do to defend ourselves."

Anabel looked to where the twitching remains of the monsters smoldered and placed a hand on the trainer's shoulder. The noise of combat had died down at this point and had become quiet once more. Her eyes narrowed at this before glancing up- she saw no sign of Tapu Koko.

"Stay here!" Anabel barked the remaining officers as she brought Hida back out and leaped onto his back, the Salemance taking off.

 _We've got one Buzzwole and three Pheromosa._ _Worst-case scenario, Hala's fighting them both or-_

 **"KO-KO-O-O-O-O!"** belted out harshly as Anabel guided the Salemance down Route 3. She laid a hand on the side of his neck, feeling his pulse race. "Can you manage another?"

Hida gave her a bloodthirsty grin and she smiled grimly in return as the lip of her glove where her keystone lay embedded glowed brightly. As they cleared the trees, Anabel winced from the strain on her eyes before they widened- either the light was playing tricks on her eyes, or she was watching Tapu Koko hover before Buzzwole and Pheromosa while Hala and his trainers just stood by!

It took Hala, his team and the Guardian Deity everything they had just to fight off one of each! she remembered before barking, _"Hida, divebomb with aerial ace now!"_

She clutched Hida's saddle as his speed picked up and the light of Mega-Evolution shone around them. Buzzwole and Pheromosa looked up as the Salemance was right upon them, eyes widening slightly. However, the aerial ace never had a chance to land and Anabel was knocked off of her saddle and onto the ground when Tapu Koko fended off the attack before clothing themselves in red and blue light, smashing Hida backwards and away from the Ultra Beasts.

"What're you doing?!" she exclaimed before wincing as her head rang from the impact. "The Ultra Beasts-"

"Look."

Anabel turned to the scene and her eyes widened when she saw Tapu Koko appear to be _talking_ to Buzzwole and Pheromosa- the two seemed angry but Tapu Koko continued to talk, even gesturing towards Hala and Anabel. A growl involuntarily slipped past her teeth as Buzzwole and Pheromosa looked at her before returning their gaze to the Guardian Deity, who then gestured the beast balls now cradled in their shield gauntlets.

The two looked to each other, expressions almost pensive. Finally, Pheromosa reached out disdainfully and tapped the button on the beast ball, allowing itself to be sucked inside. Buzzwole flexed while Tapu Koko pressed the button on the other capsule and pulled it inside as well. Anabel stared stunned at the scene as Tapu Koko presented the two capsules to them.

However, she was not allowed to ask what the hell she just witnessed as her phone rang and she pulled it out on sheer instinct. "Anabel here."

["Chief, we got a distress call from Akala!"] the officer exclaimed. ["They say they're losing power and the message got cut off before they could finish!"]

Anabel's teeth gritted together before she declared, "We're on our way," before putting the phone away and looking to Tapu Koko.

Their blue multi-colored eyes seemed far too human as they bored into her own irises and Anabel forced her trepidation down as she took the capsules and put them away. She didn't bother meeting Hala's eyes and went to see Hida's condition- luckily, he was more surprised and confused than hurt and she boarded his back once as they went back to Route 3.

"We're heading to Akala- Hala managed to capture a specimen each," she explained and the officers looked torn between being relieved and disturbed.

They raced to the boat and Anabel transferred the Beast Balls to Officer Looker through the PC system they had on them. A half an hour later, they reached Akala Island and Anabel boarded Hida and flew above the island. There was no sign of power anywhere.

 **"Squawk!"**

The officer looked up to see a Toucannon flying through the air, a young woman with periwinkle hair and golfer's gear clutching it's back. "Identify yourself!" Anabel barked.

"Kahili Myrtle, golfer and trainer, currently trying to find any other citizens of Akala that have not evacuated!" the woman declared.

Anabel gave a sort sigh and held her badge. "Officer Anabel of the International Police- here to assist in taking down the Ultra Beasts!"

Kahili looked immensely relieved at this before pointing to the southwest. "Kahuna Olivia has taken up a stronghold in Koni Koni City after driving off the Ultra Beast that had appeared from Memorial Hill. But we have yet to find it or any others like it."

She looked distinctly ashamed as she said, "I would help spearhead the assaults but my team would be crippled by it's electric power."

"We need your help in evacuating and protecting the people here- you're already doing a great job, leave the fighting to us," Anabel assured her.

Kahili nodded as she directed the Toucannon forward Route 8 but stopped and called out, "The fastest way to KoniKoni is through Diglett Tunnel- Arceus-Speed!" and finally left.

Anabel touched the ground with the officers and relayed the information she had gotten and made their way to the south of HeaHea City, finding the entrance. They flicked on their flashlights as they entered the tunnel, Anabel spraying max repels to keep the Pokemon from slowing them down. But even with the Max Repel, Anabel saw no sigh of Pokemon- not even the Zubats.

 _Just like at MeleMele Meadow, they can feel the presence of Ultra Beasts here,_ she thought with a frown.

They made it through with no problem and raced the entrance-

 **KRRZZSH!**

A blinding flash of light that made Anabel's eyes sear as she recoiled back, already sending out her Snorlax. "Xiao Po, protect!" she barked, arms coming up to shield her eyes further before the light dimmed behind the normal type's barrier and knocked back the electric attack

Behind the blue screen, Xurtkitree wriggled like a Weedle from where it's wires reached deep within the soil around the police station, looming above them. Some of the younger officers shivered at it's faceless star-like head looming above them. Xiao Po's barrier held strong, his high special defense helping immensely.

Anabel's fist clenched tightly- this Ultra Beast had caused them so much grief. It cut off their power to communicate, heal and fight and in it's absence had caused people to riot from sheer fear and paranoia. So many lives were lost because it sucked the electricity out of anything it could find.

"Keep your heads- you saw what we did to Buzzwole. We can bring this one down too!" she barked to the officers.

This managed to bring them back and they brought out their Pokemon- a Steelix, Lopunny and Sceptile took to the field and their respective officers quickly mega-evolved them. Now, Steelix had a crown of steel darts around it's head, Lopunny had black guards on their arms and legs with their ears tied back and Sceptile had not only grown spikes and a larger tail but had also attained a secondary dragon typing.

Not a moment too soon as Xiao Po's protect ran out as Xurtkitree smashed down it's wires in an imitation power whip and the mega-evolved Pokemon leaped into battle.

* * *

... I'm sorry for the lateness of the chapter- I've helping my grandpa who is currently in hospice. It might be a while before the next chapter, but I'm not giving up this story.


	38. Chapter 38

Gigarot: Anabel's aware of what she's done.

Hapu's a strong girl- as for the pictures, Asalie mentioned she had USB drives in an earlier chapter.

* * *

 **K-KRRRRZZZ-ZZSSSH-!**

Anabel's eyes stung from the light, even with this thunderbolt was weaker than before.

Mega-Steelix's iron tail up-rooted Xurxitree's wires and Mega-Sceptile's lightning-rod ability kept the Ultra Beast's electricity from harming the officers while Mega-Lopunny gracefully pummeled it whenever they got a chance to get close. Xiao Po's protect and special defense kept the officers protected from Xurkitree's power whip and other attacks but he was slowly losing more and more power as the stalemate went on.

 _Just a little longer,_ the officer thought, fist clenching. _We can outlast it and then strike, we just need a little more time!_

As the Xurkitree lurched with another power whip, Anabel saw how much slower it was becoming, how it's cables dragged against the ground and became tangled in the unearthed rocks and dirt- how the pale blue joints on it's legs were beginning to crack. She plucked another poke-ball from her belt and withdrew a lithe Weaville.

"Kama, quick attack towards it's legs, then slash apart the joints!" Anabel ordered and Kama barely touched the ground as she sped to her target.

However, Xurkitree's powerwhip's whiplash came down and knocked Kama away, nearly smacking her into the cave before she righted herself. This did nothing to deter the Weaville and she shot off the stone and latched herself onto the Ultra Beast's leg. Claws gleaming, she slashed apart the joins and the cables shuddered as they lost support.

"All right, take it down!" Anabel yelled as the Pokemon readied their attacks, Kama quick attacking out of the way.

Seconds later, Xurkitree screeched in agony as frenzy plant, earthquake and last resort smashed into it's form. It tried to shield itself but was too weak and collapsed. After almost a minute of constant attacks, it stopped moving altogether. Anabel smirked grimly at it's crippled form before her officers returned their Pokemon to heal them.

They ran to KoniKoni City before Anabel noticed the ground in front shuddering. She held her arm out to stop the officers before it completely crumbled away and sharp stalagmites shot out of the ground, reaching nearly three meters high.

"I'm Officer Anabel of the International Police!" she called across the rocks. "We're here to help! We've already defeated the Ultra Beast outside here!"

At that, the stalagmites receded and a groups of trainers led by a gorgeous dark-skinned woman made themselves shown- with them was a creature similar to Tapu Koko, though with a pink shell that reminded Anabel of a Shuckle. She also noticed the smell in the air- spicy yet sweet- and the smalls pink scales that covered each of the trainers.

"Come inside, all of you," the woman said, motioning them forward.

Slowly, people came out of the houses, apprehensive but hopeful. When the woman- Kahuna Olivia- told them that the Ultra Beast was gone, they cheered with relief, hugging each other and the trainers.

"When that thing appeared, it sucked away all of the electricity in the area- not even the back-up generators were spared," Olivia explained as they settled in the center as one of the officer's Manectric helped recharge the batteries for the healing machine.

"The Ultra Beast stuck it's... wires? Into the ground and refused to budge. It took everything we had just to get it out of KoniKoni, but by that time the damage had already been done and we entered a siege. Whenever someone tried to go outside, it would shock them- we couldn't even find it because it could blend in with the trees so well."

Anabel nodded to this- a tactic Xurkitree was all too fond of: drain a place dry and become too powerful to move until it could take no more and then destroy anything that got in it's way. "I only got the information to a distress call from the island, and one Kahili told me that you had seen the Ultra Beast."

Olivia smiled at this. "I'm glad to hear she's okay- she tried to fight the Ultra Beast off but her team was no match..."

"How long have you been like this?"

"It's only been about two days- we've had to constantly keep watch and fight since then." Olivia gave a grateful smile to Tapu Lele. "Thanks to our guardian, we were able to keep up the fight. They healed our wounds and exhaustion and joined in the fight as well.

Tapu Lele nodded to all of this with crossed arms, looking rather haughty. Anabel stifled a snort at this gesture before asking, "Do you know if there are any other Ultra Beasts on the island?"

"No- and aside from Kahili, we've had no contact with others."

"Then there's the chance there's more than one Xurkitree."

* * *

"Wait, where're you going?!" Sina exclaimed as the man began to walk out.

"Out."

Grimsley pulled out his umbrella and Honchkrow before boarding it and flying away

* * *

"I'm really, really, REALLY sorry, mom," Detect apologized again as she followed Officer Lien down. "I promise this won't take long- you could show him the photos you got from that girl to distract him, maybe?"

["Please just try to get back as soon as possible,"] her mother said gently, though Detect knew she was trying to keep calm for the boy probably upset she had to be called to work the second he looked away.

"I will."

She turned her phone off right after the call ended, Lien giving her a sympathetic look- it was never easy being called to duty when one was supposed to be on leave.

They reached the basement with the Secret Lab and saluted Officer Looker. "What have you learned about the room so far?" Detect asked once he saluted back.

"From what we've gathered from the employees that are actually coherent, this area was sealed off around five and a half years ago," Lien explained. "A little more digging and we found the reason was because a scientist was killed because of the experiments she was doing in here. But we've yet to find any employees who know how the scientist was killed or the circumstances leading to it- whether they're awake or not."

Detect nodded to this as she looked around the room closely- the red stains were obviously blood but she had no idea what the black stains were. The dents in the walls indicated claw marks and strength enough to break apart the plaster. The bookshelves were empty and the space back where a desk used to be was covered in dust. Her eyes closed as she mulled over what she learned.

 _The best option is to go back just long enough to get an idea of what happened here, if not a full scene,_ Detect concluded and brought out her Xatu- Merlin- and Gothitelle- Vivian.

Officer Detect was aptly named- her specialty was recreating crime scenes and playing out different scenarios of what could have or what truly happened in areas of interests. This was half her own talents in induction, sharp analytic skills, deductive reasoning and logic and the rest her Pokemon partners.

Legends had said that Xatu's right eye could look into the future while it's left gazed into the past, which was why it stood so still with an empty gaze if allowed to. Gothitelle had powerful psychic abilities related to the stars and could tell a person's life span if need be, even projecting their own memories with their power onto another.

With the aforementioned arsenal and her team, Officer Detect had made a powerful name for herself in recreating crime scenes- literally if need be- and recovering evidence within said scene.

Merlin's left eye grew brighter as he took in the surrounding area while Vivian closed her eyes, hands extended and glowing blue as she concentrated. Detect before raising his left wing to signify he had found a time to watch. She placed her left hand on Merlin's back and her right on Vivian's- a moment later, her body seized up before her eyes began to glow bright blue.

* * *

 _A woman with bronze and freckled skin, black hair and eyes yawned from where she was typing away at her desk. An Ariados was fast asleep on one of the unoccupied bookshelves. There were several books- no, journals, log-books and a few diaries- crammed in the shelves below, papers hanging out from the pages and covers._

 _The desk was covered with papers, notes, an occasional doodle and several photos- the oldest had the woman, a teenager, smiling with an older blond man and a stout boy that resembled the man, save for bright green eyes. Other pictures showed her wearing the Aether uniform and the boy wearing a white labcoat over simple clothes, then with a rather curvaceous woman with kind smile and a blond and red-haired bespectacled man and woman._

 _Another showed the stout blond in wedding dress to a timid-looking woman with long black hair and amber eyes. A few others down showed the woman with a brunet with olive skin, both wearing wedding clothes with a bulge noticeable beneath her dress. More photos down had her balancing a toddler boy on her lap, her in the hospital with the man and ten-year-old boy crowded around a new-born baby, and then the woman with a solemn-looking seven-year old brunette with black eyes trying on new clothes._

 _The screen showed a portal and several calculations around it and ever few seconds, the woman would completely erase a section and retype a calculation or theory only to either leave it be or delete it all over again. Days passed with the woman only going out for food, the bathroom or to take her notes outside._

 _Suddenly, the woman shot up from her chair and nearly tripped over the desk as she grabbed several papers hanging off the surface while yanking open drawers and pulling out a file. Her fingers were a blur as she typed on the keyboard, new calculations coming up and a picture of an indigo, blue and black creature with beady yellow eyes came up by said calculations, same as the one in the files._

 _"YES!" she shrieked and leaped out of her chair before her foot got caught and she fell flat on her face._

 _This did nothing to deter her and she scrambled to her feet, racing out of the room. Some time later, she yanked the stout blond man with green eyes in the photographs to her desk and the laptop._

 _"Here! I just picked up some of the formulas from before that Magnolia showed me the last conference and then plugged in a few more!" the woman exclaimed animatedly, gesturing to the screen. "I think we can make this work, Mohn!"_

 _The blond, Mohn, looked at it closely before he typed a few keys in and the calculations became slightly altered. "Now I know we can make this work, Astrid," he said with a grin._

 _The woman, Astrid, punched him playfully before leaning back on the chair with a sigh. "After all these years, we'll finally be able to see their world- I can't wait! And it's even on Bring-Your-Family-To-Work Day!"_

 _Astrid's expression became solemn at this. "I hope she'll be able to enjoy herself here- my star's never been very out-going..."_

 _"Well, maybe she'll get along with Lil- I know she'd like someone her age to be able to play with," Mohn suggested._

 _"Maybe..."_

* * *

 _Two days passed with Astrid finalizing the calculations. She wiped at her forehead with an excited grin- on the laptop was a simulation of a portal opening up. "Okay- okay," she said again and took a deep breath as she moved the files into the USB drive and then printed them out just in case._

 _"In a few hours, we're gonna open the wormhole."_

 _But then not even two hours later, the door to the lab slammed open and Astrid walked in with a shell-shocked expression before collapsing against the wall. She gasped harshly, trying to breath even as tears streamed and mucus streamed down her face. The sob that shook her body was one of utter despair as she sank to the ground._

* * *

When they returned to the Seafolk Village, the villagers remained silently respectful as Hapu came in- the fate of Kahuna Iole was obvious.

"Where can I take your friends, Kahuna?" Chief Lapis asked respectfully, a far cry from the boisterous man the three had met earlier that day.

"We're heading to Exeggutor Island."

With the destination in mind, they boarded the boat and went out to sea. "You just tell me when you want to head out once more," Chief Lapis called.

"Okay!"

Exeggutor Island was rather small with several palm trees dotting it and what looked to be caves on the hills. "This place... many years ago, it was a trial site," Hapu remarked as they went further inland.

"What kind?" Hau asked.

Hapu was about to reply but then a palm tree suddenly screeched and smashed down on them with indigo power resembling a hammer. Gladion grabbed Lillie out of the way while Hau and Hapu jumped back as the palm tree began to walk towards them. **"Screeee!"**

"An Exeggutor?!" Gladion exclaimed in surprise.

"Another Alolan form- this one is part dragon!" Hapu said as they avoided another dragon hammer.

 _Then it's weakness to fire is gone- but it should be doubly weak to ice!_ Lillie concluded and looked down to Asalie's poke-balls.

"T-Titus!" Lillie called out as she threw the heal ball rather clumsily.

The Alolan Ninetales blinked as he came out, looking around before his eyes landed on Lillie. His expression became sour before the Alolan Exeggutor smashed another dragon hammer down. "Look ou-!" Lillie began to cry out only for the energy to pass right through Titus, the Alolan Ninetales arching an invisible eyebrow.

 _Right- dragon types don't effect fairy types!_ "Titus, please use ice beam!"

Titus narrowed her eyes at the blonde before pointedly ignoring her and began to groom himself. "What is he doing?!" Hau exclaimed.

"She's not his trainer, so he's not listening," Hapu grimaced as she threw out a Flygon. "Dragon tail!"

The Flygon swooped down with her tail and smashed into the grass/dragon type, knocking it out swiftly. Titus sniffed before prancing over to his poke-ball and returning himself inside. "... yeesh," Hau muttered.

Lillie returned the capsule to her bag, resigned but understanding. "It's okay," she told Gladion when he reached to her. "It's okay."

 _He misses her and I'm not a trainer._

 _Not yet at least._

They traveled further inland, Hapu, Hau and Gladion's Pokemon keeping the Alolan Exeggutor from reaching them. Lillie was not idle, making sure to heal their teams in case they were hurt and taking in their battling and strategies when she could focus. When they came in full view of the hills, they heard the rumble of thunder and not a minute later, it was pouring.

"There's a cave ahead!" Hau shouted over the rain and they ran to the base of the hill.

While not so much a cave as an alcove, it still offered the four protection from the rain. Some of the rain dripped off the rock and landed on Lillie's skirt but it wasn't much. She looked to the dark gray sky, barely wincing at the lightning and thunder that rolled after.

* * *

They kissed one more time before Kathy left Don. But Don wasn't unhappy- he looked over the moon, he began to dance and sing into the rain, a grin on his face as he danced without care in the world. He even stopped holding the umbrella altogether by giving it to a soaked passerby.

 _"That looks like fun!" Lillie chirped from where she and her brother were curled up on the couch, a bowl of popcorn between them._

 _"You'll catch a cold doing that stuff- he would have too if the rain was real," Gladion said._

 _The younger blonde stuck her tongue at him before jumping off the couch and nearly knocking the bowl down to get a good look outside. It was still raining. "Lillie..." her brother said in a warning voice._

 _But she was already running to the door and flung it open, jumping into the rain. In all but an instant, she was soaked to the bone and cold but she didn't care. "Lillie, get back in here!" Gladion shouted, wincing as the rain hit him even with an umbrella._

* * *

 _"Si-i-i-i-ing in the ra-a-a-ain~ Just si-i-i-i-ing in the ra-a-a-ain~"_

Hau looked up at the few bars of song before he saw the blonde murmuring it under her breath as she watched the storm. "I didn't know you could sing," he said in surprise.

"It's quite a lovely voice you've got there," Hapu remarked with a smile.

Lillie smiled at this. "Thank you- it's from a movie I saw when I was younger," and turned to her brother. "Do you remember that movie, Gladion? About the man singing in the rain?"

"A little," Gladion admitted before smirking. "Didn't you run out into the rain to try the same thing?"

Lillie chuckled as she nodded. "I was so captivated, I had to try it for myself and you kept trying to pull me inside- you eventually gave up."

"Yeah. And then..." Gladion's expression became softer.

"Then what?" Hau asked.

* * *

 _She was getting cold but she didn't care, it was so much fun! Lillie kept trying to sing, even when the thunder drowned out her voice and she kept forgetting some of the lines. Then, someone grabbed her from behind and she yelped in surprise before turning around._

 _Mother was panting for breath, eyes wide in surprise as she held the younger blonde to her. For a moment, Lillie was afraid she'd get scolded- mother had been more strict as of late since..._

 _But then, a smile spread on her face and she took Lillie's hand and twirled her around. The girl was so surprised, she nearly tripped but caught her footing before her mother twirled herself._

"What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again! I'm laughing at clouds, so dark up above~"

* * *

Hau looked shocked at this while Hapu's eyes were closed. "That really happened?!" the green-haired boy asked.

"It did- they both got colds to prove it," Gladion affirmed with a slight huff of laughter. "They couldn't near anyone for nearly a week."

"She even let me sleep in her bed with her the whole time," Lillie said, a trembling smile on her face as she recounted. "I was... I was so happy, I kept waking her up just to make sure I wasn't dreaming."

Hau smiled. "That sounds really nice," before Gladion and Lillie's expressions fell.

"That was the last time we saw her... acting like herself."

"But then she started to change- all she could think about were the Ultra Beasts," Lillie said softly.

"First, she wanted to kill them and devoted her time to making Null and the others."

Gladion's hand clenched around Silvally's poke-ball.

"Then she wanted to bring them here, using Nebby."

Lillie's hands trembled as she hugged her bag to her. "Both of them suffered so much because of her... and I couldn't do anything..."

"But you did do something!" Hau exclaimed. "You got Nebby away from her and you tried to protect them the best way you could! That's not nothing, Lillie!"

"He's right- you did what you could," Hapu assured her gently while Gladion placed a tentative hand on her shoulder.

"You've already done what I would do in your place."

The blonde's smile trembled as she took this in. "Thank you, all of you. I'm not discouraged, not now. I'm going to keep going forward."

Her hand came up to her heart. "It's all right to be afraid and unsure when you decide to go through with something. I've learned that, watching her. Watching her be afraid and unsure but still going forward."

She could see it in her mind's eye- Asalie as afraid as she felt and was without Pokemon, but she still did her best to save Nebby. Being beaten up by Team Skull but resolving to get stronger despite her weakness. Even at Aether Paradise, she still made herself fight even when her mind had been going through such turmoil.

"Every time I doubted myself because of my fear and felt I couldn't do anything, she... just showed up and- and did something, even though she was afraid and uncertain herself. She showed me it was possible to keep going forward, regardless of fear and doubt."

Hau and Hapu smiled at this while Gladion looked to the rain.

 _She never knew what she wanted to do once she finished the Island Challenge,_ the blonde thought, hand clenching, _but if I could keep traveling with Asalie once this is all over, not as a companion but as an equal..._

It was then she noticed the pitter-patter of the rain had died down and Lillie looked up to see the clouds parting something. They got out from beneath the alcove and Lillie winced at the rays of sun that spread across them. When er eyes adjusted, she saw a rainbow stretching across the horizon.

"Whoa! Hau beamed at the light. "If this isn't a good omen, I don't know what is!"

"Indeed," Hapu agreed, her smile becoming peaceful.

They went further up the winding hills until they came to the top. There, was a small alter and pedestal holding an orange flute carefully- the symbol of the sun was carved into it. Lillie pulled her book out while Hapu carefully took the flute from the pedestal and compared it to the picture. "This is it," she affmired, carefully putting it in Lillie's bag.

"Great!" Hau cheered. "One down, one to go!"

"We still have to get the Moon Flute from Officer Anabel though," Gladion reminded them.

* * *

Anabel's eyes narrowed through her binoculars as Hida flew over Route 8. Since they left KoniKoni, they had been looking all over the island via the sky to see if anything looked like Xurkitree could be there. The city had been left without electricity and Manectric could only charge so much.

Still, Olivia came with them along with Tapu Lele and half of the trainers there and had fanned out across the island to look for Xurkitree. The Guardian Deity was especially helpful as they healed the officer's Pokemon of their wounds and exhaustion, using the same scales Anabel had seen on the trainers at KoniKoni the first time around. "I have a duty to all of Akala," she had said before sheepishly adding, "I just had the misfortune of getting trapped in my own home."

 _This island is so much bigger than Melemele, not to mention more geographically diverse,_ the officer thought, eyeing the motel and Pokemon Center. _With so many different areas and so many different towns, how-_

 **"Squawk!/ Grough!"**

Anabel's legs were already clutching Hida's sides as the Salemance quickly flipped to avoid Toucannon as it nearly flew right into them- it was covered in scorch marks. Kahili's previous stoic demeanor was all but gone, eyes wide and chest heaving frantically as she tried to breath- her arms were covered in burns.

"Down- HeaHea- Dr. Burnet!" the golfer rasped out and Toucannon was losing altitude, eyes flitting shut.

The Salemance quickly righted the two and directed them back down to the ground. Anabel hoisted the golfer up and returned Toucannon to it's poke-ball before running to the Pokemon Center. Anabel had never been so happy to see the lights on in the center as Nurse Joy and her Audino took Kahili and Toucannon from her. She ran right back out and leaped onto Hida as he took off.

"Olivia, Kahili says Xurkitree is in HeaHea!" Anabel barked into the walkie-talkie.

["I'm on my way!"] Olivia declared. ( **"Lele~"** )

Within ten minutes, they had made it to the City and Anabel saw Xurkitree clutching a large white building- but it wasn't trying to steal it's electricity, none of it's cables were buried in the ground. Rather, it was trying to break open the building, cables trying to smash the windows, walls and roof. There was also someone less than three meters away from the creature who seemed to be trying to get in closer.

"Dive now!" Anabel barked and the Salemance quickly shot down and the officer plucked the person away from the Xurkitree-

"Get your hands off me! This is a chance of a lifetime!"

\- only for the person to try and push her off, causing them both to fall off Salemance and crash onto the ground. Anabel rolled to stop her head from hitting the concrete but the person- a blond with a blue hair strand, glasses and dark gray coat and gauntlet- scrambled back to his feet, typing furiously into said gauntlet.

"Astounding! Truly astounding!" the bespectacled blond exclaimed, all but enraptured. "I've never seen this kind of creature before- is it a Pokemon, or something else?!"

Anabel didn't bother asking if the man was sane or not, not when there were more important things to do. Hida flew back down to her while she brought Xiao-Po and Solomon out and turned to the Alakazam. "Are there any people inside?"

Solomon's eyes glowed and Anabel set her hand on his head before her gaze was drawn past the walls. Professor Magnolia Burnet, Pokemon Professor in studying spacial distortions caused by Pokemon, was trying to comfort two young aides while the rest of the scientists huddled in the back, along with a determined looking janitor.

Suddenly, Xurkitree smashed through the windows and it's cables slithered inside. It knocked aside the scientists before curling around Burnet.

Anabel withdrew sharply from Solomon and leaped onto Hida's back. "Xiao-Po, distract it! Solomon, be ready to catch her!" she barked as Hida took to the air.

Burnet struggled against the cables as Xurkitree brought her closer to it's jagged face. **Krrrsh...** it rumbled.

Then, flames slithered up it's back and Xurkitree hissed as Hida circled around. Xurkitree began to power up a powerwhip only for it's step to be halted as Xiao-Po grabbed it's tail. **ZZSSH!** it snarled, setting Burnet down on the rooftop before it began to crackle with electricity.

 _Wait, what?_

The next moment, Anabel was knocked off of Hida before Xurkitree slammed the Salemance by flinging Xiao-Po at him via tail. She felt Solomon's psychic power cushion her fall and start to right her back up only for cables to snake around her torso, trapping one of her arms to her sides. She heard Solomon cry out before electricity crackle down Xurkitree's other arm and his cry was silenced.

Anabel stared stunned at her Pokemon down- Xiao-Po was the only one who could move but he was too slow to reach her. She was yanked up to Xurkitree's face, mere inches away from the jagged spike of it's face. Her face contorted into a snarl- she wouldn't die like this, not before she took them all down!

 **"Le- Le-e-e-e!"**

Anabel stared in surprise as Tapu Lele floated to the Xurkitree, landing right on the jagged spike right between the two. They reached out and touched Xurkitree's face, eyes glowing with psychic energy. Xurkitree took a step back, the cables slowly unfurling around Anabel and setting her down carefully.

"Officer!"

She turned to see Olivia touch ground from an Arcehops and run to her. "Are you all right?"

Anabel nodded, unsure of what to say. Tapu Lele withdrew one hand and gently sprinkled the same scales from before over Xurkitree and the Ultra Beast seemed to calm, slowly backing away from the building. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the bespectacled blond reaching for a poke-ball but Xiao-Po quickly pulled him into a bear hug.

 _"Gggkk!"_ he gasped as he tried to get free. "Let go- I haven't gotten nearly enough data!"

Tapu Lele rolled their eyes as they brought forth the beast ball and Xurkitree allowed them to tap it against the jagged spike, pulling it inside. Anabel was silent as she took this in.

* * *

The four islands of Alola might have been the largest, but they weren't the only part of said region. There were many tiny islands that dotted across the sea surrounding Alola, either too small or too wild to sustain human civilization. In ancient times, these tiny islands were often used as meeting places and neutral ground during war as leaders did not want to risk damage to their homes.

The only sign of civilization came from one of the tinier islands- the ruins of a settlement by Johtonians that was eventually overrun by Pokemon before it was even finished building. There, the homes had been repaired somewhat with a small well and multiple gardens dotted along the ruins. Said repairer- a stout blond man with bright green eyes and olive skin was now taking care of large beanstalks, clipping the dead leaves and rotting vegetables while gathering the ones that had ripened properly.

 _"Everyone in the place, come on with the rain~"_ the man sung as he collected the bounty in a straw basket before heading to the back of his hut. _"I've got a smile on my face, I walk down the lane~"_

He opened up a small trapdoor to a cellar where other baskets of vegetation sat snugly. Since Fall began, he had been stocking as much as he could- once he had gathered enough, he'd dry what he could and eat what he couldn't. Of course not all of this was just for him.

"Well, looks like you're finally up now, eh?" he remarked with a light smile.

* * *

So, Lycanroc has a new form.

I originally had Ruby evolve into a completely different form of Lycanroc that would happen at dawn or dusk when the sun and moon were in the sky. I don't know if I dodged a bullet or let a golden opportunity fall through my fingers.


	39. Chapter 39

Iron-Ninja: Thank you very much.

(Gollum voice) _You will see~ Oh yes~ You will see..._

Gigarot: Probably. But I've got an idea for Dusk! Lycanroc :D

See Gollum voice reply to Iron-Ninja.

* * *

"Looks like you found what you were looking for."

Chief Lapis smiled as the four returned to the boat, expressions lighter as they boarded the boat. Though they were glad they found the Sun Flute, there was still the matter of getting back it's counterpart.

"This Officer Anabel, you said before she's a member of the International Police?" Hapu inquired. "From what you've told me of her, she seems to have experience with the Ultra Beasts."

"Yes- she was adamant we not summon the Legendary Pokemon since they may have the ability to open the Ultra Wormhole," Lillie affirmed.

"I still believe this is a risky venture," Hapu told them. "But having control over the Ultra Wormhole will make sure that we can send them back to their world and decrease the risk of them causing more trouble here. It would also stop them from avenging any Ultra Beasts who might be killed here."

She looked to Lillie's backpack. "Of course just playing the flutes won't be enough to bring forth the Legendary Pokemon."

"What else do we need to do?" Gladion asked.

"We need to play the flutes on the Altar of the Skye," the new kahuna explained. "There, under the noon sun or full moon, the two flutes must be played together. Only then can it bring forth the Legendary Pokemon."

"So we get the Moon Flute and then head to the Altar of the Skye and play them there," Hau concluded before sweat-dropping. "If we can convince Officer Anabel to give it to us, then that'll be half the battle won."

Hapu's brow furrowed at this. "What's wrong?" Lillie asked.

"The Altar of the Skye is at the end of Vast Poni Canyon."

Hau visibly paled before Gladion asked, "Why is that a bad thing?"

"The Vast Poni Canyon's the place where everyone who's gotten through the last six trials and defeated tutu, Kahuna Olivia and Nanu!" the green-haired boy exclaimed. "That's where the strongest trainers in all of Alola are camped out and getting stronger by the day!"

"And if they're anything like the trainers we ran into outside the village and on Poni Breaker Coast, they battle anyone they see in their line of sight, don't they," Gladion finished, feeling a headache come on.

"We also have to take in account the wild Pokemon- who are more than likely to be stronger than the Pokemon we ran into there," Lillie pointed out weakly, reminded that the max repels hadn't been able to repel all of the Pokemon due to their strength.

The four trainers mulled over this, the rest of the ride back silent.

* * *

Grimsley looked over his map of Alola, trying to keep the map from distracting his Honchkrow, Hit. He was done wasting time- while the news of Nalani's brother somehow fused to Zygarde was intriguing, he needed to get going.

 _Anabel with the Moon Flute, the kids with the Sun Flute, and they have to be played to summon the Legendary Pokemon,_ he remembered. _Whether the Legendary Pokemon can open the wormhole or not doesn't matter in the end- we'll still get a powerful wild card._

Though he was set on finding the three, Grimsley's mind flitted back to Astin and Zygarde. How could he just turn into a Zygarde? It looked like it's cells were fused directly into him. So, who fused them into him, when and how did they do it and for what purpose?

 _Well, it's not like it's my job to-_ **Plop!**

Grimsley blinked as a drop of water splattered against his nose. A few more followed and he looked up to see the beginnings of dark gray storm clouds heading towards them.

 _Looks like a storm,_ the dark-type user thought, maneuvering his umbrella to his right hand. _Better get down before-_

His thought was cut off as lightning flashed and spots danced before his vision as the area right next to them became blazing hot- the next moment, he smelled well-cooked meat. Then, his entire arm felt on fire and he faintly heard Hit shriek in pain, the smell of singed feathers joining the cooked meat. The next moment, the two plummeted from the air diagonally, Hit's wing on fire and Grimsley barely clinging to her back with his left hand as his right arm slumped against her back. Thunder rolled in around them, making his ears ring and nearly pop from the drop in altitude.

Grimsley could feel the strain Honchkrow was going through trying to keep them in the air and he struggled not to black out from the pain or let go of her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small island below them. He leaned the left as best he could, hand gripping towards said direction on Hit's back. The Honchkrow had flown long enough to follow her trainer's guide and forced herself to steer towards the island- she crashed by what could only be described as a beanstalk and Grimsley rolled off to lessen the impact and managed to grab part of the vegetation.

Lightning flashed above them, the thunder louder than before and Grimsley winced at the noise and light, eyes squeezing shut as he tried to get his bearings back- proving to be especially difficult thanks to the painful and lead weight that was his right arm. This was growing harder as rain began to pelt down, large and cold droplets making his hands freeze and start to slip off the beanstalk.

"Let go!"

Grimsley hissed in pain, wondeirng if he had imagined the voice. He forced himself to look down and saw a blurry figure beneath him. "I'll catch you, don't worry!" the voice- belonging to a man- called back up.

With lightning flashing above him and his arm screaming in protest, Grimsley let his grip go slack and roll off the beanstalk. His stomach dropped briefly from the fall but sure enough, he was caught in two well-muscled arms. His head slumped against the shoulder as he felt himself being carried carefully away...

* * *

Anabel looked at the rain now over Akala and dripping through the destroyed roof of the building- she and Solomon were keeping watch over the interfering blond, a scientist named Colress. Professor Burnet and her scientists and aides were being looked after by Tapu Lele, the Guardian Deity using her scales to heal their injuries while Olivia explained the situation to them.

"I'll be honest, this is pretty incredible," Burnet said with a grin. "I've never had solid proof that the Ultra Beasts were real and then one practically breaks down the door!"

Anabel scowled at this as she ground out, "They are destructive creatures and you were lucky you weren't killed."

"Ah- sorry if I seem ungrateful," the scientist apologized.

"I'm not! That creature was an absolute marvel to behold!" Colress declared, trying to wriggle free of his bonds. "If I had just another minute to examine it-"

"Well you're don't," the officer declared sternly. "The fact that you tried to interfere with International Police business already makes you a criminal."

Colress didn't bat an eye to this, nor did his grin fade. Olivia placed a hand on Anabel's back and leaned in to murmur, "Just ignore him- he's not worth it."

The kahuna wasn't wrong and Anabel turned back to Burnet. "You say that you've studied the Ultra Wormholes?"

"Yes," The professor admitted before settling down once Tapu Lele allowed her to. "My research deals with the relationships between certain Pokemon and different dimensions."

"That might explain why Xurkitree attacked here," Olivia pointed out, "Only question is how would it even know something like that?"

"Well, we already know Pokemon are as smart as humans," Burnet said, earning a derisive scoff from Colress. "They can also sense things that humans can't- perhaps it sensed I had been to different dimensions?"

The officer pondered on this. _Burnet isn't wrong- but why would it even be drawn towards her in the first place? So what if she had gone to-_

Her thought cut off and she barked, "Professor!" starling some of the younger aides. "Have you yourself ever gone to Ultra Space?!"

Burnet frowned softly at this before she began to speak. "During an experiment in Unova with one of my former aides, things went haywire. For a moment, I had stumbled into a dark place- the stones looked like water, there was barely any light and the air had a great pressure about it. Before I was brought back, I saw creatures unlike anything I had ever seen before."

"Astounding! That must mean they can instinctively sense those who have come to their dimension, no matter how short a time!" Colress exclaimed excitedly. "That creature clearly came here to find the source! So if I can replicate it-"

 _Right, this was a mistake to talk with him in earshot,_ Anabel thought darkly as Solomon used confusion to knock out the blond.

"He has a point- could the Ultra Beasts be drawn to those who went to Ultra Space, even if they're not Ultra Beasts themselves?" Olivia pointed out.

Anabel froze at this information, dread starting to curdle in her stomach. She refused to allow the thought to take form as she got out, "How is the electricity in the city?"

"Even with emergency power, it's going to take some time for things to return to normal," the kahuna said, expression giving nothing away. "We're contacting more trainers throughout Akala thanks to Kahili, so they're on alert in case more show up."

"We can keep lookout here," Burnet said as she gestured to the scientists, "now that we know what to expect."

"And I'll drop this fool," the officer scowled at Colress' asleep form, "at the nearest station."

 _And then I'll see if Ula'Ula's doing all right._

* * *

"Now what?"

The four made it back to the seafolk village and moved to the Pokemon Center. Hau's stamp book was out, the latest stamp being from Sophocles' trial. Gladion had not taken the trial but the strength of his Pokemon weren't in question. While Asalie's own team was strong, she was unsure if they would obey her if they were put into battle under her.

"If we had more time, we could train and perhaps even contact the Trial Captains and Kahuna Nanu into a lightning battle," Hapu said with a frown. "But with the Ultra Beasts around..."

"Even that might not guarantee we're strong enough," Gladion pointed out. "Those would be controlled battles with predictable types, not all-out fights where we know next to nothing about our opponents."

"So we just avoid as many trainers as we can- not really different from what we've been doing," Hau summarized before adding, "And we'd do everything to avoid them even if we had the stamps of approval since we've got so little time."

"So Hapu, do you know where Vast Poni Canyon is?" Lillie asked the new kahuna.

"Yes- it's just beyond Ancient Poni Path. Now that we've been to the location, your Ride Dragonite should be able to fly us there without trouble."

Once Hau put in the coordinates in the Page Rider for Kaia to follow, the lithe Dragonite easily carried the four to the ruins and dropped them off at Hapu's house. "Some new trainers just came here and are looking for fights- they're mighty strong too," the old woman told them. "Please be careful."

"We will," Hapu said solemnly.

They left out the back and Hapu motioned them into the a small grove of trees to hide behind. From their vantage point, there was a path down down the side of two stone walls that widened the longer it went on. They quickly slipped behind the ruins dotting Ancient Poni Path to avoid a collector and ruin maniac.

"Hey, can you guys lend me a hand?"

Hau cried out in surprise at the foreign voice and Gladion was already pulling out Sneasel and Golbat. "Ice punch, aerial ace!" he barked, the two swiftly leaping into battle-

"Rock slide."

\- only for a Rypherior to smash them both down with powerful rocks. "Geez, calm down will ya?" the trainer remarked with a sweat-drop. "I was just asking for directions."

Hapu quickly shot between a stunned Gladion and the trainer, hands held up. "We don't wish to fight- allow us to pass," she stated before adding, "As Kahuna, I ask this."

"Wait, you're the kahuna?"

The trainer was a young man with spikey auburn hair, sunglasses, black dress shirt with a few buttons undone, green capris and shoes the same color and a backpack. He pulled off the sunglasses, revealing sharp blue eyes, as he examined her. "Aren't you a little young to be looking after an entire island?"

"Age is merely a number."

The trainer arched an eyebrow at this. "And you're what- like twelve?" before holding his hands up as Hapu's eyes narrowed. "Sorry, sorry..."

Lillie peered closely at the trainer- there was something very familiar about him. She had seen him somewhere before, but where?

"Look we're kind of in a hurry right now and we don't want any trouble," Hau said quickly.

"Hey I got it- I'm not a douchebag that fights unwilling trainers," the trainer assured them. "Now back to my question- have any of you seen a guy around my age? Brown hair and eyes, shirt with a '96', doesn't say much? Last I saw him was around here."

The four shook their heads. The trainer grimaced and rubbed his temple, muttering. "Dammit Red..."

* * *

 _"Who are those two?" Lillie asked._

 _She and Asalie were resting outside of the school with a small lunch between them and a website on Rotom-Dex that showed two young men._

 _"Blue Oak and Red Ash," she pointed to each of them. "Both former champions and ridiculously strong trainers. They were rivals when they were a lot younger and went on a journey across Kanto. Blue's a gym leader while Red is still a trainer."_

 _She sweat-dropped as she added, "And every person who wants to be a trainer wants to have what they had when they start their journeys."_

* * *

"You're Blue Oak!" Lillie realized, making the trainer cringe.

"SHHH!" he hissed, making a harsh "shushing" gesture. "Keep it down, will ya?!"

"Oh, sorry!"

The trainer- Blue- rubbed at his head again. "I get it- not every day you see a top tier trainer like me. But I'm not here for battling- just for a vacation. And before you even ask," Gladion looked a little peeved at being cut off, "I'm not the one who wanted to come here, my fi- my _buddy-"_ he seemed to cringe at the word "- thought this would be a great first location. Now I can't find him."

"Well we'd like to help but we're kind of in a hurry- we gotta go to Great Poni Cavern," Hau said, apologetic.

"That way, right?" Blue gestured over to the space they had been heading to. "If there're strong trainers and Pokemon in that direction, he's almost definitely gone there."

An idea struck Lillie and she declared, "Yes- that's where the most powerful trainers in Alola gather!" much to Hau's surprise and Gladion's disbelief.

Blue perked up at that before rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, I figured..." before asking, "And you're going down there too?"

"That's right."

"Lillie..." Gladion said in a warning tone but the younger blonde ignored him as she continued, "Well, we know the layout of the area well enough. We could help you find him- but only if you escort us. I have plenty of healing items in case any of your Pokemon are hurt in the meantime."

Blue thought this over before pointing at her, "You've got yourself a deal."

"... that was great," her brother finished in a murmur to her while Hau gave a thumbs up and Hapu smiled approvingly.

The path was straightforward with the walls widening the further they went down until they reached a colossal clifftop looking over them and several other rocky outlooks ahead in the canyon and a bridge further in. An enormous bare and dark brown tree grew right by a cave entrance. When they went inside, three of the five trainers were awestruck at the massive cave before them, paths winding higher and higher up where another cave entrance lay.

True to his word, Blue battled off the trainers they ran into- aside from his Rypherior, he also used a serious Alakazam and hot-blooded Arcanine. When they reached the top, they went outside to find a patch of vegetation where some Murkrow were searching for food and a narrow strip of rock connecting their side to the next. As they got to the other side, the path narrowed until it was barely a foot of rock between the wall and the air. Blue brought out an elegant Pidgeot in case any of them did fall as they edged around.

Luckily, none of them did and they made it to the other side where another cave awaited them. They found the rocky path was too rough for them to transverse and Hapu brought out Mudsale to help ferry them across. As Hau's own Ride Tauros crushed the rocks in their way, Lillie found a small pink disk in the debris.

"Technical Machine ninety-nine, Dazzling Gleam," she read before carefully putting it away.

As they came out of the next entrance, they found a long wooden bridge reaching to the other side. Lillie remembered the bridge on Mahelo Trail and her hands clenched tightly around her backpack straps. "You okay?" Hau asked gently.

The blonde nodded forcefully. "Yes Hau- just a little nervous. I'll be okay."

 _Before I couldn't cross, but now... I'm going to try! I'll consider this my first trial!_

She quickly did the pose and took a breath to calm down. Blue and Gladion both blinked in confusion while Hapu and Hau grinned before they began to cross the bridge. But when they got to the middle, they heard several squawks from above- a murder of Murkrow were flying straight towards them. Blue reached for a poke-ball but they were all already being mobbed by the Murkrow. Gladion quickly ducked down along with Hapu and Blue.

As Lillie tried to follow their example, her eyes widened as she saw Hau being pushed back as he tried to fend them off and grab a poke-ball- and he slipped off the bridge. She ran through the dark/flying types, barely noticing the scrapes on her arms and face as she grabbed his hand. His weight was too much and pulled her forward and a Murkrow knocked her completely off the bridge before she grabbed the side.

The two hung from the bridge, Lillie's quickly weakening hand the only thing keeping them from falling. Gladion gave a cry of alarm and lunged for her hand, fingers scrambling over her knuckles before he grabbed her wrist tightly. Lillie was about to smile with relief before three Murkrow began to mob her older brother and he couldn't fend them off with one arm. As he tried to pull Lillie up, Gladion over-balanced and was sent toppling over by a Murkrow's faint attack to his back.

Scrambling frantically for a poke-ball, Lillie released Bishop. She grabbed onto their top magnet and Gladion followed his example with the left magnet, grabbing Hau's arm to help him grab the right. The Magneton gasped in surprise at the weight before regaining their calm. The Murkrow crowed as they began to circle around Bishop.

Lillie was about to call out a thunderbolt attack before remembering how the Magneton's entire body would crackle with electricity. _With their electric body, it would hurt all three of us,_ she realized, mind racing. _Hau doesn't have any Pokemon that can fly and Gladion's Golbat is still hurt from earlier- come on, think! Bishop can use thunderbolt, flash canon, thunder wave and-_

Her eyes widened in revelation and she shouted, "Bishop, please use tri-attack!"

The Magneton obeyed immediately and sent burning, electric and freezing power that took down the three Murkrow in an instant. Lillie grinned with relief at this before the Magneton began to glow with bright blue energy. Their body began to morph from three spheres to a more oval shape, resembling that of a saucer. When the light disappeared, Bishop now resembled a UFO with antennae and two magnets at the front of their body.

 **"BZZZZRRT!"** they boomed and loomed above the bridge and remaining Murkrow.

The dark/flying types swiftly absconded, seeing themselves out-matched and Hapu and Blue got back on their feet. "Well, that was certainly something," the former grimaced as she shook the feathers off of her before giving a small smile to the newly evolved Magnezone. "Thank you kindly."

"Huh- looks like this place has the same energy as Mt. Coronet and Chargestone Cave," Blue remarked as he straightened his shirt out.

"Thanks a lot Lillie and Gladion, Bishop," Hau said with a relieved smile. "You really saved me back there."

Gladion nodded faintly, looking to Lillie with relief and amazement. Lillie pumped her fist as she replied, "Not at all!"

She turned to Bishop. "Thank you so much!" she said as she laid a hand on their hull. "You were incredible!"

"Yeah, this is great!" Hau agreed. "Now Asa's team is fully evolved!"

Lillie was about to smile before Bishop looked around and then visibly drooped before returning themselves to their poke-ball. This made her own smile drop as she remembered.

 _She's still not here._

* * *

When Grimsley woke up, his first coherent thought was screaming at the last thing he remembered- that being the agony his arm had been in. Eyes flitting over, he saw said arm wrapped in makeshift bandages and in a split. A slight movement in the appendage made it scream in protest and Grimsley stopped trying to move.

His eyes flitted around to reveal he was in a small hut with shelves holding bowls and containers and gourds. There was a small pit by the back middle with an iron pot hanging over a small fire. By the opposite side was a stout man with blond hair and strawhat over a table, softly singing.

 _"Why am I smiling, and why do I sing? Why does September seem as sunny as Spring? Why do I get up each morning and start? Happy and head up..."_

The black-haired man coughed slightly and the man stopped singing and turned around- his eyes were bright green. "Well, looks like you're up!" he said with a smile before getting up and kneeling beside him with a small cup.

 _Well if he wanted me dead, there's no reason he'd keep me alive now and make me a drink,_ Grimsley thought as he sipped from it.

It was bitter and the odor made him wince but the pain in his arm alleviated. "Your friend is still asleep," he told him and gestured to the side.

Hit was fast asleep, her wing bandaged and set against a stone to keep it level. Grimsley smiled with relief as his free hand shifted through her feathers down her back. "Thanks a lot- I mean it," Grimsley said with a brief bout of seriousness- his Pokemon were the few things he hadn't lost in gambling.

"It was my pleasure- though I have to ask, what on earth were you doing out there during a storm?"

"I didn't mean to get caught in it. I was trying to get somewhere and it just came out of nowhere."

The blond nodded to this before admitting, "I have to say, I feel rather lucky."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I've been on this island for nearly six years now and all I've had for company is the Pokemon," the blond said as he took the pot off the fire and poured the contents into two small bowls. "Truth be told, I haven't been able to remember how I got here, or who I was, or what I had before all of this."

He helped Grimsley sit up and placed the bowls on two cool slabs of stone. "Then a few days ago, the strangest visitor came here and I started getting flashbacks. Just short scenes, but more than I've had these past years."

Grimsley looked at the man closely- how many people had blond hair and green eyes like the man before him? And it wasn't just the color of his eyes and hair but his facial features- facial features that Lillie Paradisi had, in the roundness of the eyes, the lips and the locks of the hair.

"And now I've got another visitor here in as many days!" he gave a small laugh.

 _Could it be...?_

"And who might this visitor of yours be?" Grimsley asked out loud.

The blond looked to the door. "Not quite sure," he admitted, looking to add something before he cut himself off with a shake of his head. "Ah, I'm sure you'll see 'em once the storm clears up."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, they're always running out during this time of day- the storm hasn't changed that. But I think they'll be getting tired a little earlier."

The storm was slowly beginning to let up, the thunder barely a low grumble at this point. Grimlsey was still seated on the mattress with Hit, running a gentle hand through her feathers just the way she liked it. She stirred a bit and then crooned softly, nipping at Grimlsey's fingers affectionately. He smiled faintly and made a mental note to get her her favorite food once he got the chance- she'd earned every pokeyen worth.

True to his prediction, Grimsley heard a thump outside the hut and a low shuffling similar. A shadow sniffed at the hut before coming through the flap as the blond pulled up a spare blanket. "Good to see you," the blond said with a smile.

The canine remained remained silent, glancing at the mattress with Hit. The Honchkrow tried to move herself in a defensive stance but her wing made her halt mid-action and her trainer placed a hand on her back. In the light, Grimsley saw that they had the same black and green color scheme as Zygarde, save for the red gem that held a long ribbon-like "leash" dragging behind their feet. The blond pulled out some spare blankets and the canine curled up there, eyes flitting shut.

At first, nothing happened. But as their breathing mellowed as they fell asleep, the canine's shape began to change. Grimsley's eyes widened as the body slowly became more human like, the green and black not vanishing completely save for scales up the bare arms and legs, as well as the neck and either side of the face. Either way, Asalie Nalani was now fast asleep in the blankets.

 _I don't know what I was expecting._

* * *

 _Astrid looked up from where she had curled into a ball, eyes red and wide with despair. She forced herself up onto her feet, stumbling and smacking into one of the shelves. She didn't even hiss from the impact of the journals hitting her head and shoulder before one journal was knocked open._

 _She bent down to pick them up before her gaze froze on the journal. Astrid then scrambled towards it and flipped through the pages, eyes wild with something- hope? A tentative smile formed on her face as she flipped through faster before grabbing a blank notebook and began to make notes. Once she had finished, Astrid opened her file cabinet and got out a small notebook with several phone numbers._

 _"C'mon c'mon, pick up," the woman whispered before a low and mellow male voice answered, ["Hello?"]_

 _"Xero! It's Astrid!" she exclaimed, voice hoarse._

 _["Well well, it's been a while- how's Alola?"] the man remarked, probably either smiling or smirking on the other end._

 _"Tropical- now, I need your help! That organization you were apart of, is it still active or not?"_

 _["Why, do you have five million pokeyen stashed somewhere?"]_

 _"I'm not asking to join!"_

 _["You wouldn't be able to anyway, it's been disbanded."]_

 _Astrid hissed a curse under her breath and her hand massaged her temple as she tried to calm down. "Okay, but do you still have information on the legendary Pokemon there?"_

 _["Xerneas or Yvettal?"]_

 _"Zygarde."_

 _There was a brief silence. ["Sorry, but I'm not opening that can of Weedle, Astrid,"] Xero stated. ["Even I know that taking away the Pokemon that keeps the Pokemon of Life and Death in check is foolish."]_

 _"Money isn't an object!" Astrid cried out. "I'll pay for the master balls, the mail expenses, the holding area! Hell, I'll even pay for someone to meet you!"_

 _She slumped against the desk as her knees hit the floor with a hard thunk. "Please Xero- I'll do anything and everything you ask. Just do this for me."_

 _There was another brief silence before Xero sighed. ["I told you before that families were dangerous things."]_

 _"That's rich coming from you- how's Emma doing?"_

 _["Hmph... I'll see what I can do. Once I've done that, I'll tell you the bill- and you'd better deliver."]_

 _The call ended and Astrid slumped to the floor again, trying to breath easier. After a few minutes, she was back on her feet and exited the room. The journal that had been opened up showed a drawing of a green and black Arbok-like creature with notes beside it._

In times of peace, Zygarde will sleep beneath the earth. When the ecosystem is threatened, it will emerge to punish those who have upset the balance. During battle, it sheds it's cells in order to regenerate and return for said cells when the battle is over and done.

* * *

 _Over the next day and a half, Astrid wheeled inside several things- a container with several green wriggling things inside of it, medical equipment and medicine, several cases and a small fridge she set up in the back._

 _Finally, she wheeled inside two stretchers- one held a young man with black hair around nineteen years old with his chest bandaged and his arms and legs in splints. The other held a brunette no older than nine with bandages around her head and face, her body slack. She hooked them both up to the heart monitors and IVs before also hooking the container up as well. She then opened up the cases to reveal scalpels, scissors, tuning fork and several other surgical items._

 _Astrid looked over her notes, eyes wide and almost bloodshot. She set them down and looked over the young man and little girl. "Hang on, my stars," she whispered lowly. "I'm going to save you."_

* * *

You know what REALLY grinds my gears? When this site is down and then you can barely type/save two or three words at a time without the site _crashing_.

Guess how many times it took for me to even finish writing this author's note? On second thought, don't- I stopped keeping count after ten -_-

Also, Grimlsey's Pokemon are named after gambling terms- "Hit" is a term used in blackjack when asking for another card.

"Murder" is indeed the correct way to address a group of crows.


	40. Chapter 40

Guest: Getting At World's End vibes from the description :D

Gigarot: It's a strategy I often implement in my own game play. Also, I don't have a way to introduce the Battle Tree here- so I went with my best option for having the two lo- _rivals,_ in Alola :D The headcannon that the two are there for their honeymoon is a _very_ common theory.

Asalie's return means much more than you think, and it's not necessarily a good thing.

Mandriel: "Or sickens," as they say. :D

Iron-Ninja: :D

Wait, are you asking me- the author- who I am? How is my secret identity an elephant in the room? I am very confused ._.

* * *

It was impressive to watch even after all the times Looker had seen this technique used. Detect's eyes were glowing with pure white psychic energy while Merlin and Vivian continued to project to her.

 _To her, days, even months are passing by,_ he thought, _while it's been only a few minutes out here._

No sooner had he thought this, Looker was snapped from his thoughts by Detect recoiling from Merlin and Vivian, stumbling backwards before her back hit the door frame and landed on the ground hard. The Xatu and Gothitelle were shuddering from the backlash of their trainer withdrawing the scene, psychic energy dissipating.

"Detect!" he and Lien exclaimed in surprise, kneeling down to her.

The brunette officer panted for breath, eyes wide in shock and repulse as her hand came up to lay palm down on her thyroid. "What happened here?" Looker asked. "What did you see?"

Detect was on her feet, still breathing harshly before she stormed back into the room, looking for something. "Um, are you all right?" Lien asked, concerned with her fellow officer's behavior before Detect turned to them both.

 _"Where is Ashwin Nalani?!"_

"Th-the infirmary-" Lien began before the brunette officer stormed to the elevator. "Wait!"

They ran after her but she had already disappeared up the floor and they had to wait for said elevator to come back down again. Once they came to the floor and entered the infirmary, they saw Detect being held back by two officers away from a drowsy but conscious Ashwin with bandages around his head.

"YOU KNEW!" Detect roared. "YOU LET THAT WOMAN-"

"ENOUGH!" Looker bellowed, putting himself between her and Ashwin. _"Control yourself, Detect!"_

 _"I am!"_ she barked. _"If you knew what had happened there, you'd know that-"_

"But I _don't,"_ the dark-haired man said empathetically, making her freeze. "Not unless you explain."

"It's okay."

He turned to Ashwin, the man's eyes wide and haunted. "I can tell you what you need to know."

* * *

The storm was becoming worse as Anabel came closer to Ula'Ula. Hida kept his gaze squarely ahead as he flew through the rain and wind but even he winced at the intensity of the lightning and rain. Anabel placed a hand on his hide both to keep her balance and to assure him he was doing well.

As the island came into view, Anabel immediately saw damage beneath them- the northwest area of the island, even with the rain, was in flames around Lanakila Mountain. "To the fire, Hida!" she called over the rain.

The officer winced at the smell of burning vegetation and the acidic, gasoline-like smell that only Celesteela could produce. _And with the rain like this, it obscures our sight and dampen any fire attacks,_ she thought with a grimace.

Hida hovered above the ground and Anabel jumped off his back, wincing as her boots came into contact with more mud than dirt but broke into a run towards the mountain. The building had been burned to the ground, only charred remains of the structure and foundation left. Thankfully, she hadn't come across any charred remains of living beings.

Yet.

Anabel withdrew Kama, Solomon and a grinning Mismagius- Merga Bien- and gave them their orders. "Find anyone alive here- Pokemon, human, I don't care. Fan out!"

The four of them quickly combed over the area, from the charred remains of Aether House by the bay to the now glass-coated entrance to Haina Desert. The construction on Lanakila's mountain base was left untouched, much to the officer's confusion. Why was this area left alone?

Solomon and Merga returned but had found no humans. Even the wild Pokemon were in hiding and too afraid to come out. Anabel checked her map, finding the closest civilizations were either Malie City or Po Town. Taking another look around on Hida, Anabel saw that the bay's sides and small islands had been burned and smashed apart, the opposite shore's Pokemon center and the Ula'Ula meadow still in flames.

 _The destruction came from around Po Town, so it's course is east,_ she deduced.

Anabel returned the Alakazam and Mismagius before boarding the Salemance and guiding him towards Malie City. Just from looking down, she saw there were far more people than normal inside the city- there were also large vines and tree roots gnarled around said city like a wall. As she began to hover down, Hida suddenly lunged forward and Anabel felt the heat of a flamethrower where they had been a second ago.

More flame attacks came at them and Hida did what he could to evade, though Anabel's gloves quickly patted out the few flickers that singed her suit and hair. She wasn't surprised or disgruntled- this had been a strategy implemented countless times against Celesteela where she had come from.

 _While common sense dictates this as a good plan, I've only told a select number of people about this..._

Pulling out a poke-ball, Anabel held Merga Bien close. "Get down there and relay that Officer Anabel is here. Go!"

The ghost type's body turned transparent as she floated to the ground and Anabel placed a hand on Hida's hide. "Just a little longer," she murmured.

The Salemance rolled his eyes but continued to dodge. A minute later, the fire attacks stopped and Hida gave a grunt of relief as he flew down to the city. Right away, Anabel saw a middle-aged man with gray hair and red eyes wearing police attire waiting below.

As Anabel got off Hida, her hand came up to a salute and her back straightened on instinct at seeing her old senior officer. "As ease, agent," Officer- or rather, Kahuna Nanu said with an eye-roll and smirk. "You out-rank me now."

The lavender-haired officer fought down the rising embarrassment as she came to Merga-Bien- who now sported a rawst salve on her burned side. "Thanks," she said as she returned the Mismagius before turning back to the kahuna.

Kahuna Nanu was about to speak when they heard a a thump on the ground. Anabel turned to the source to see what looked like a bull's head and two hooves attached with a nose ring and red sombrero on their head. Tree roots and vines grew where their hooves brushed the ground.

"Our guardian deity, Tapu Bulu," Kahuna Nanu said, giving an indifferent shrug towards them- they shrugged back just as carelessly.

 _... never has a more perfect fit between human and Pokemon been achieved,_ was Anabel's only thought before asking, "So, mind filling me in?"

Malie City didn't span across the land like HeaHea did but it's compact size was probably bigger, the officer noted as she followed the kahuna through the streets. Tents were erected around the Pokemon Center and other buildings, there just wasn't enough room for everyone to be inside. Poncho-wearing Nurse Joys were weaving in and out and either bringing medicine or tourniquets. A stout blond a purple haired girl around thirteen were directing people about while other trainers were watching the makeshift walls. The ones who were doing the most running- helping people find shelter, assisting the Nurse Joys and looking out from the wall- were all wearing skull emblems.

"'Blaster' showed up around Po Town- Team Skull's base. I held it off as long as I could along with Tapu Bulu before we were able to delay it enough," he relayed. "We were lucky we got as far as we did before it broke free and destroyed most of the routes in their way. When it destroyed Tapu Village..."

Kahuna Nanu trailed off as Tapu Bulu's eyes shone with rage at the memory. Recounting that Celesteela most similarily resembled the steel and flying types only made Anabel's respect for the guardian deity grow, considering their grass typing. "The bastard's still alive- just flew away to lick it's wounds," he told her. eyes flickering with annoyance and deep-seated anger.

She could feel her own gaze become darker from this news. There was most definitely more than one "Blaster" hovering around Ula'Ula, she knew. They were not that difficult to locate, not that they tried to hide- with flight and bombs on command at their disposal, who would? So another assault, whether here or elsewhere, was inevitable.

"So, what's the gameplan on your end then?" Kahuna Nanu asked her.

"Find the Ultra Beasts and either kill them or capture them," she stated and showcased the beast balls she had on her.

"And does whatever's sticking out of your bag have to do with that plan?"

Anabel froze at this before her hand flickered to it and she remembered what she had inside. She unzipped it and brought the Moon Flute out, cool even against her gloves. Kahuna Nanu's eyes flickered while Tapu Bulu stared intently. "Well I'll be damned..."

The officer hesitated at this, unsure of how she would explain how she came into contact with the Moon Flute. But she didn't have an opportunity as it was snatched out of her hands by the purple-haired girl from before. "How-? Hey!"

"Acerola..." the stout blond from before protested weakly as he and the older blond came over with her.

"Wow, it really does exist!" she said in amazement, grabbing the kahuna's jacket. "So that means-"

"Acerola, don't bug the officer," Kahuna Nanu deadpanned, though Anabel saw some relief flicker in there.

The girl- Acerola- shrugged and gave the flute back to Anabel, her movement forceful as she yanked it back from the purple-haired girl.

"We've got everyone settled in, whether they like it or not," Acerola told them. "The skulls are actually doing a pretty good job helping around- if they didn't spend all their time causing trouble, those numbskulls can really get things done!"

"Considering they saw their base get burned down, I'd say they're taking it well," the kahuna shrugged before turning to the two blonds. "Anything happen, Molayne?"

"The guards haven't spotted anything too suspicious and once the rain clears up, we can set up the flying types again," he replied. "We've got enough food and water for now- the rain's a mixed blessing right now- but it can't last forever."

"I've hooked up the back-up generators and my team's making sure to ration power," the stout blond put in timidly. "There's no telling if that creature'll attack the power lines, so we want to be careful."

"Good call," Kahuna Nanu stated, making the stout blond both puff his chest in pride and cave in on embarrassment. "I wouldn't put it past 'em not to try. Well, get back to it then."

Acerola nodded and shot ahead while Molayne gently guided the stout blond back after her. It was only becoming apparent to Anabel how old her former senior officer looked now, even in the lighting around them. She had told him of the destruction the Ultra Beasts were capable of, how they devastated her own world before she fell into this one. While he had been able to help her get back on her feet and direct her anger and helplessness, Anabel had known that the Kahuna only understood the destruction and fear they could cause when he saw it's consequences first hand.

 _But he did though, before even this,_ she reminded herself.

She never saw the face of the woman who had taken her hand and pulled her out of the darkness before she had been swallowed up by Guzzlord, but she would remain grateful to the Agent "Seeker" for saving her.

"You never told me how you got an ancient Alolan artifact on you," Kahuna Nanu deadpanned, snapping her out of her thought.

 _Well, no sense in putting it off,_ she thought and told him what had happened.

"Well, aren't they determined," he remarked thoughtfully. "All of this to save the Nalani girl..."

Anabel fought down the anger at his aloofness. "If the Legendary Pokemon does exist, then having it make more wormholes will only bring more trouble!"

"They still can't do anything without that, though," he pointed out, nodding to the Moon Flute.

"And they won't do anything, not if I have anything to say about it."

The Kahuna said nothing to this before his phone began to ring.

"Nanu," the kahuna stated into the phone before cocking an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know how you got this number?"

His eyes narrowed the longer the person on the other end went on until his expression became grave. "All right. Get your asses over to Aether _now."_

He looked back at Anabel as he flipped his phone off. He was about to speak only for a loud whooshing noise to cut him off- Anabel's entire body erupted in goosebumps as the sound of Celesteela's flight resounded through the air.

"HIDA!" she roared over the noise as she brought him out and leaped onto his saddle. "TAKE IT DOWN!"

* * *

Lillie, Hau, Gladion, Hapu and Blue kept going, coming to several stone slabs blocking their way. Hapu's Ride Machamp quickly took care of them- Hau was greatly relieved they didn't have to rely on his slightly illegal Ride Machamp- and they soon found a dark blue river near the bottom of the canyon.

"Who the hell drops a perfectly good full restore?" Blue muttered as he picked the medicine up only to notice the worn out container. "Never mind..."

They found a long ladder with an emblem of a star by it- Blue, Gladion and Hapu brought out their Pidgeot, Golbat and a shiny Flygon respectively. Ii was several meters up a rocky outlook and Lillie forced herself not to look down as they kept climbing higher. When they got to the top, Hapu's Flygon stood perched over a would-be ambushing scientist's Alolan Muk and Magnezone.

Going through the entrance found another wooden bridge over the canyon, even higher than the first. There they saw a dirty blonde girl covered in pain holding her hands out like a frame and several satchels holding sketchbooks and paint cans. Currently, she was focused on another trainer- a young man with light brown hair and a shirt that had "96" on it.

 _"Red!"_

The brunet jumped at his voice and turned around from where he was. The dirty blonde followed his gaze and smiled lightly. "Oh! Now this is composition!" she exclaimed and pulled out a sketchbook and pencil.

The amber-haired young man put his hands on his hips with a scowl as the brunet came over to him. "I know this is in-character, but seriously!?" he admonished the other. "We're supposed to be on our hon- _on vacation!"_ before quickly switching the terminology in front of the four.

Red blushed in shame and red eyes averted down. Blue's scowl softened and he put a hand on his shoulder. "Look I'm not mad, okay? I was just concerned- you can't just leave like that without any warning."

He placed the full restore in the brunet's hands with a slight smirk. "And keep better track of your stuff, yeah?"

Red blinked in surprise at seeing one of his full restores before putting it away, shooting Blue a grateful look.

"Aw," Hau said with a smile while the dirty blonde finished her sketch. "There we go!" she declared. "'The lovers from another region'- perfect!"

Blue cringed at this before groaning, "I don't know why I bothered trying to keep this a secret..." while Red patted him on the back sympathetic while Hapu stated rather stiffly, "Mina."

The dirty blonde- Mina- looked up and gave a wan smile to the new kahuna. "Long time no see Hapu- it's been a while."

"I don't suppose you've set up a trial site yet? It's been nearly a year now."

Mina had the grace to look sheepish. "Sorry, sorry..."

Hapu's hands rested on her hips at this. "We can easily set up a new trial on another island if you're having so much trouble. It has happened before with Exeggutor Island's trial."

"Um, how about we don't? If it doesn't work out, then I'll be stuck with something I can't enjoy doing."

"Oh, you're a trial captain?" Lillie inquired.

"Yeah and no," Mina admitted before elaborating, "I got the job last summer, but I've been trying to find somewhere to set up a trial ever since. But I haven't found anywhere good. MeleMele's too small and being around your boyfriend too much can lead you to getting bored of him, the trial captains on Akala are already doing well and Ula'Ula's not kind to my types..."

She trailed off, face almost the same shade of pink as the pain covering her clothes. "So I've just been wandering around trying to find a place... and doing art in the meantime."

Hapu pinched the bridge of her nose and Lillie blinked in surprise- she had yet to see Hapu show any sign of exasperation to anything. "This is no good to the trial-goers if one of the captains can't even make their own trial."

"I know- I'm really sorry..."

"I hope you can make a good trial," Hau said quickly before adding, "Maybe it could do with painting pictures or maybe a memory game! Or you could have a fairy tree or something!"

Mina looked thoughtful at this. "Maybe..."

"Look this is fascinating, but we need to get a move on," Gladion put in

"Blondie's right- Red, we're helping these kids get to the end," Blue told the other trainer. "We'll probably come across some strong trainers and Pokemon in the meantime, so we'll keep them off their trail."

This put a grin on the brunet's face and he gave a thumbs up to this. "Oh, you're heading to the end of Poni Gauntlet? Perhaps I can find a trial there..." Mina remarked as her eyes settled on Hau's Island Amulet.

"Perhaps," Hapu stated. "And then we can finally set it up."

The company grew to seven trainers and they crossed the bridge- by this point, the individual trainers kept out of their way. They came to an ancient and gnarled tree with it's roots growing to form a sort of bridge down the rocky side and to several paths.n"Well, that's one way to make a shortcut," Blue remarked.

A quick look in the cave by them revealed a detour back to the beginning and Hapu's Machamp moved the slab of stone blocking their way.

"Hey look!" Hau suddenly called, pointing to where the river flowed through a small grove, slowly picking up steam the further down.

Mina brought a petite Ribombee and the fairy/bug type went to check out the area. A few minutes later, they returned holding something and whispered in Mina's ear, the dirt blonde nodding to this before saying, "Looks like it's a dead end up ahead- but Beelzebub did find this," and revealed a TM for Flamethrower.

Hapu nodded to this and let Lillie pocket it. The blonde walked by the new kahuna and asked softly, "Are you all right?"

"I am fine," Hapu assured her before frowning. "But there are no captains in my memory that have taken as long she has to make a new trial. If she doesn't find a place, then it will confuse the trial-goers and captains. I know she wants this, but she does not show it..."

Lillie looked over at Mina from where she was looking at the stone walls thoughtfully. "Did your grandfather...?"

"She is the last captain he chose."

As they went further in, they found a straight path forward with three trainers waiting ahead- at the end was a trial gate. "Great," Gladion growled as he began to pull out a poke-ball before Red's hand clamped around his wrist to stop him before he brought out a Pikachu. The electric type chirped and looked to the brunet before he gave a thumbs up. "We've got this," Blue stated.

"I can help here as well- you have given me a great deal of inspiration," Mina chimed in before throwing Hau something.

The green-haired boy caught it, revealing a bright pink Crystal. Mina crossed her arms then held them out before making a heart shape with her fingers, spreading her arms and legs out and then balancing on one foot with her hands to the side. "Have fun storming the castle," she said before joining Red and Blue to fight off the three trainers.

"Let's go while they're distracted!" Lillie exclaimed and they ran past the trainers and their battle.

They ran past the gate and straight into a long and dark cave. They stopped to catch their breath only to find the air inside was rather thin and the pressure was immense. As Gladion laid his hand near the wall, his eyes fell upon a small plaque. "Look at this," he spoke to the others, ushering them around. "What does it say?"

"'Ahead lies a sacred ground of trials. None who did not take part in it's trials will be allowed to walk upon this earth. Those lacking the courage to defeat the totem guarding this land will be denied entry. But those who believe in their Pokemon and walk beside them shall gain great power!'" Hapu read closely.

"So this really is a trial site- but where's the captain?" Hau asked, looking around and wincing at how his voice echoed.

"This site has no captain. It hasn't for generations now."

"We have to get through either way- so, let's start the trial!" Lillie declared and ran forward, the others following.

The interior of the cave was completely silent, a sharp contrast to the noise from outside. There wasn't even any conflicting smells like other habitats that sported Pokemon. "Hapu, what kind of-?" Lillie began to ask only to find that she wasn't with her- neither were Hau and Gladion, though the former's bag had dropped on the ground.

Her veins filled with ice as she looked around before she heard a startled cry. Looking up, she saw Hapu, Hau and Gladion being held by three scaled and muscled dragons, hanging from the alcoves of the cave. She was about to reach to them before Hapu got out, "It's forbidden for kahuna to interfere- and only one may challenge the trial site at a time. They are merely acting to enforce those rules."

Gladion struggled against the dragon before he began coughing harshly, almost heaving from the force. _Oh no, that's right- he's still hurt from the fight with Mr. Guzma!_ Lillie realized with dread. _And he's been silent about it this whole time!_

"Hey, he's hurt- let him breathe, please!" Hau protested.

"We won't interfere with the trial, please let us help him," Hapu requested.

The dragons looked to one another before wordlessly dropping the blond onto the stone and allowing the green-haired boy and kahuna to run to his side. "Aw man, why didn't you say anything earlier?" Hau chided him worriedly as he examined the bandages around his chest.

Lillie tried to run to them but the dragons had already leaped down in front of the trial gate, blocking her way. "Please, let me help him- he's my brother!"

The dragons didn't move- Lillie opened her bag and tried to look for max repels, only to find she was out. "Once the trial starts, you can't leave unless you forfeit!" Hapu called down to her.

The blonde was torn at this- she wanted to help her brother but if they didn't get to the Altar of the Skye soon, then...

"Lillie, keep going!" Hau cried out. "My page rider is in the bag- if you can complete the trial, then Kaia can fly us there later!"

Two impulses shot through her- to vehemently deny she was capable of fighting or run ahead. Both were equally strong for a moment but the latter won out as Lillie grabbed Hau's bag and slung in over her shoulder. _Even if I do lose, we can still try again!_ she thought determinedly.

The path down the trial site was long- even with the mouth of the exit so large and bright at the end, Lillie felt like she wasn't getting any closer to it from the sheer length of the path. As she passed a shadow on the wall, a barking growl made her freeze before she saw the shadow leap out at her. Lillie barely dodged the tiny dragon, gray with yellow and orange scales that looked like the base form of the dragons before.

 _Dragon type- ice and fairy are super-effective against them_! Lillie reached for Titus' poke-ball but then remembered how the Alolan Ninetales had refused to fight for her.

She brought Pellimore's poke-ball out a moment later, the Decidueye flexing her wings before quickly batting aside the dragon. The grass/ghost owl looked to the blonde expectantly.

"We're doing a trial- the Altar of the Skye is just ahead. If we can get there, then we can help Asalie!" she explained quickly before the dragon tried to charge at her.

Hearing this, Pell quickly launched a steel wing at the dragon and knocked it out cold. **"Scree,"** she stated determinedly and the two continued on.

When another shadow came at them, Pell quickly shielded Lillie and forced back the dragon- like the three that had detained Hapu ,Hau and Gladion earlier- before they ducked into a small alcove to catch their breaths. As Lillie leaned against the stone wall, her foot bridged against an indigo disk. "Technical Machine Dragon Claw," she read and put it away.

Pell stretched her wings, wincing as they struck the wall and Lillie winced, looking down. "I'm sorry I haven't brought you and the others out since earlier- I'm still not used to having Pokemon or poke-balls on me..."

The Decidueye gently nuzzled her side, understanding in the amber irises. She gestured to the poke-ball on the blonde's backpack before making the impression that Lillie could only assume was of Asalie. "Did she forget she had them on her too?"

Pell nodded. Lillie couldn't help the weak smile and chuckle at that but the Decidueye didn't mind. _The ones I know and met can trust me,_ she thought, the Decidueye, Bishop, Kumonga and Ruby flashing beofre her eyes, _but the others don't know me nearly as well and have no reason to trust me,_ remembering Ifrit and Titus.

The longer she thought, the more aware she became of the exhaustion creeping up on her and Lillie felt her legs give out so she slumped against the wall. How long had they been running out on Poni Island?

 _I've been awake since the sun rose this morning and the rest of us haven't gotten much rest, we've been running around so much._ _I've never moved this much in one day, it feels so long..._

She forced herself back on her feet and Pell followed her lead through the cave. But as they drew closer to the exit, Lillie became acutely aware of a powerful, piercing gaze on her and her chest constricted at the pressure. But they made it to the exit, where she saw the same pedestal that she, Asalie and Hapu had found in the Haina Desert.

 _This must be where the Z-Crystal is,_ she realized. _Asalie mentioned this before in Ilima's trial- all I have to do is take it and the trial will be complete._

But as her hand neared it, Lillie stopped. _But I'm not here for this. I have to get through to the Altar of the Skye._

As Lillie began to move to the exit, she heard a low, menacing growl before Pell yanked her back, alert and urgent. The growl receded and the Decidueye shook her head lowly. The blonde tried to swallow down the lump in her throat and went back to the pedestal.

Sure enough, an indigo crystal lay sparkling inside. But as she reached out for it, she became aware of the sudden darkness around herself and Pell. Quickly, the Decidueye pulled her backwards with a screech.

Right where they had been standing, a monster of a dragon with orange and yellow scales hanging from it like vines, tough claws and fangs and a dull gray hide landed before the two, towering over them. It's body flared with bright indigo power and it's roar shook the cave.

 **"KO- KO- MO-KO-O-O-O!"**

* * *

Good news bad news time- good news, I have two jobs now. Bad news, I have two jobs now.

But the two-hundredth reviewer gets a oneshot written for them by yours truly!


	41. Chapter 41

Gigarot: Not this one, at least.

She's never seen Asalie battle during a trial, though.

Iron-ninja: Huh, that wasn't intentional in the least- Titus just doesn't know Lillie very well.

I am so confused ._.

Guest: Wait, that's actually a thing? Huh.

Also, I copied it from the game itself when it was happening.

Guest 2: :D

* * *

Weather moves didn't magically make said forecast change- it just created a climate that affected the surrounding area of the battlefield. But should enough users cast the same attack and over several areas, it could create very well create artificial weather and magnify it's effect.

Sunny day times ten was doing just that- even with the rain crashing down ahead, the artificial suns still lent enough power to the fire attacks to at least make some damage on Celesteela. "Keep using sunny day!" Acerola called to her Drifblim from where it formed another artificial sun and sent it up the sky with the others.

The heat from the artificial suns was enough to keep the rain at bay around the area they hung over and Celesteela writhed from the heat, trying to break free from the vines from the vines and roots Tapu Bulu had summoned to keep it in place. But even with the rain coming down in other areas, it still lent extra accuracy to electric attacks thanks to the viciousness of the storm.

"Come on, hurry!" Molayne yelled as he and some other skull grunts helped herd the civilians to the back of the city to escape the worst of the fighting.

Sophocles gripped his Magnezone's hull as they hovered while his Vikivolt fluttered in the air and his Togedemaru, Alolan Golem and Electivire had taken positions on the buildings and wall. "Th-thunderbolt, everybody!" he shouted and slapped the bracelet on his wrist, making an electric current run up his body.

As his team crackled with energy, the current kept it from hurting him and they blasted Celesteela together. It writhed against the vines and screeched angrily before red and blue energy gathered in it's mouth and unleashed a powerful flash cannon-like energy blast towards Sophocles and Magnezone. It hit their hull and though their typing resisted the attack, the force of it knocked them back and Sophocles right off of them.

Plumeria saw this and her eyes narrowed before guiding her Crobat forward and leaping off of the poison/flying type. Sophocles' shriek got cut off as the Crobat grabbed the back of his shirt and halted his fall before letting him roll onto a house's roof beside his Togedemaru. The skull admin jumped off the roof and grabbed Crobat's feet as they flew her back into battle.

Celesteela snarled and began to charge up another flash cannon-like attack as they passed in front of it. Plumeria quickly sent out her Salazzel and the fire/poison salamander leaped onto the roof top a ways away from them. Just as it prepared to fire, a powerful flamethrower was blasted directly into it's mouth and face. It screamed in agony as Anabel's Hida kept the attack up. The rain might have lessened it's intensity but it was still a flamethrower to the face. Celesteela screeched in agony as it writhed against the vines harder, trying to escape the fire. Hida merely flew around as it tried to shield it's face, the burns traveling down it's neck and across it's headdress.

The officer gritted her teeth, trying to stave off the shivers that would wrack her frame and weaken her grip on Hida if she let them. They had been able to get close enough so that she could see the lower half of the Celesteela's face, how it's smile never seemed to waver before Tapu Bulu held it in place. Now it's mouth was twisted in a growl as it struggled to get free, covered in burns and ash.

Plumeria's Salazzle took this opportunity to leap onto Celesteela's hull and begin to scamper up it before latching onto it's neck, where it began to breathing a poisonous purple gas onto it. _What is it doing, doesn't it know poison does work on steel types?!_ Anabel thought in annoyance. _Still, any kind of damage would be beneficial-_

 **REEEEEEEEEE!** it screeched and then blue and red energy gathered in it's mouth again and it sent another powerful flash cannon like attack- but this time, it aimed for the city and it hit Tapu Bulu directly.

The Guardian Deity roared as the attack his them and the vines and roots froze and writhed as though the plants felt their pain. Celesteela struggled harder and the gases from it's arms became hotter until true fire ignited the plants. Even with the rain, the fire burned true thanks to the artificial suns and Celesteela blasted off of the ground. Anabel snarled as she guided Hida up- she wouldn't let it escape.

Luckily, the burns from before had kept the Celesteela from seeing properly and the damage from the attacks had it twitching erratically as it tried to stay in the air. Hida's flamethrowers roasted it's side relentlessly as he flew around it. Celesteela screamed and screamed, it's cries becoming weaker and weaker. A grin started t spread across Anabel's mouth at the Ultra Beast's suffering.

 _Just a little more, then it's only a matter of time-_

 _CRUNCH_

Anabel blinked at the noise and saw Hida sprawling down to the ground, his wings inverted. Then, she was falling. Anabel stared stunned as she tried to understand what had just happened only for agony to ripple through her body as she fell. She tried to turn her head and see through the rain and blood but no one could have missed the second Celesteela that had appeared by the first, albeit much smaller than the first.

Then, her body was stopped mid-air before being brought back down slower and she saw a Haunter focusing it's power around her. The Salazzle before was beside Plumeria as she placed an arm underneath Anabel's head and kept it above the wet ground. When her limbs and back touched the ground, Anabel nearly shrieked at the pain going through them but bit it back so a tiny whimper was all that was audible. She struggled to keep her eyes open, locked on the scene of the first Celesteela trying to right itself again only to crash into the ground with an almighty thud.

 **Reee~ Ree-eee~**

The smaller Celesteela hovered around the first, flight pattern jittery as several high-pitched noises came from it's mouth similar to whimpers. Anabel's eyes narrowed as she saw the remains of vines and roots sticking to it's bodies.

"That Celesteela- it's the same one we saw before at Po Town," Plumeria murmured.

 **REEEE! RE-EEEEE!**

Anabel grimaced as she saw two more Celesteela come hovering towards the first and smaller ones. The trainers balked at this, some of the skull grunts clinging to each other in fear while Kahuna Nanu remained grim and silent- but none of them attacked. Rather, the one of the two placed itself by the first's head while the other one seemed to be trying to comfort the smallest. Tapu Bulu however floated into the air despite their injuries and went to the four Celesteela, right in the middle. Anabel struggled to get up and do something, anything, but her body seemed to scream in protest just at the thought of moving.

 _Four blasts from those things will almost certainly kill them- why won't anyone move?!_

Tapu Bulu listened to them before coming down to Kahuna Nanu, eyes glowing. Anabel blinked as astonishment flickered on the Kahuna's expression before turning to Anabel. "You still got those beast balls on you?"

The officer's head jerked to her bag and Kahuna Nanu took one out and threw it to Tapu Bulu- the Guardian Deity then placed it over the first Celesteela and sucked the massive Ultra Beast inside. It wriggled a few times in Tapu Bulu's hooves before stilling and they gave it to Kahuna Nanu while the other three Celesteela placed themselves outside of the barricade by thirty meters. The trainers quickly swarmed Kahuna Nanu, buzzing with questions.

"Kahuna, what's going on?"

"Are those creatures going to attack us?"

Kahuna Nanu held his hands up to get some quiet. "They're not gonna attack anyone- actually, they're going to be helping us out."

"WHAT?!" was what Anabel wanted to yell but the agony she was experiencing wouldn't allow her to do so.

"Keep your guard up in case more show up, but engage them unless they attack first- we're not making that mistake again," the kahuna told them, eyes flickering tho Anabel.

She bristled at this. _I fought to protect these people, so that monster wouldn't harm them or attack first!_ she wanted to scream at him.

"We're getting you back to Aether along with the Moon Flute," he told her sternly. "I'm going to the Altar of the Skye."

* * *

Pell screeched, flapping upwards as her claws grabbed Lillie off the floor and flew out of the Totem Pokemon's reach. Lillie clung to the Decidueye's feet, her hands scraping against the claws. She could barely breath, her heart was hammering hard enough to reverberate to her throat.

They landed on one of the rock formations by the alcove and Pell drew back her wings almost like a bow and sent several dark violet arrows at the Totem Pokemon's form. However, it easily grabbed them in it's claws and snapped them in half with just a twitch. Pell winced at this and looked to Lillie, eyes flickered between her and the poke-balls.

"R-right!" the blonde exclaimed and examined them. "Bishop!"

The Magnezone came out, blinking in confusion before giving a shriek of surprise as the Totem Pokemon sent a flash cannon attack. Bishop was able to withstand it thanks to their typing and sent a flash cannon right back at it- The Totem Pokemon put up their arms to guard against the beam before fully shaking off the flash cannon by crossing it's arms out back, giving a higher pitched roar.

Lillie's teeth reverberated against each other as her hands futily clasped around her ears to block the noise out. Through her fingers, she heard Pell cry out before she was yanked away again and barely avoided the blow from a Scizor. _Ruby's weak to rock- here!_

She brought out Kumonga and the Araquanid looked around hopefully before being barely able to guard against the Scizor's x-scissors. He screeched as he was pushed back by the force behind the blow before sending a scald attack to force it off of him. Bishop and Kumonga both looked over to her while trying to defend themselves from the Totem Pokemon and Scizor.

Knowing that she was the one they were waiting on made her nerves even worse but Lillie forced herself to concentrate and remember the moves they had on them. _I know Bishop's moveset, and Kumonga's is scald, leech life, poison jab and- and-_

"Kumonga, use crunch to halt Scizor's pincers!" Lillie called to the Araquanid before turning to Bishop. "Use thunderwave to paralyze the Totem Pokemon!"

When Scizor attempted to attack, Kumonga bit down as hard as he could to stop it's x-scissors before flipping it down underneath his body. Bishop quickly sent a wave of electricity that began to travel out from where it impacted the Totem Pokemon in the chest. It winced at the sensation but kept moving forward with a powerful uppercut that smashed Bishop against the wall. Only their sturdy ability kept them from being knocked out cold.

Lillie was already pulling out a full restore and raced across the floor, heart in her throat. But Scizor was pinned down under Kumonga and paralysis kicked in, halting the Totem Pokemon's movements, allowing her to reach Bishop and heal them properly. Pell put a gentle wing on the Magenzone's hull and they brightened at this.

 _ **"HRK-!"**_

They turned to see Kumonga get knocked across the floor by the Scizor's iron head, the blow pulverizing his underbelly and making him cough and flinch from the pain before the Scizor collapsed unconscious. Bishop moved in to help him but the Totem Pokemon was moving again and suddenly began to clang their hanging scales together. The disks screeched and shrieked against each other as the friction simultaneously lowered Bishop and Kumonga's defenses while adding momentum to the Totem Pokemon's movements, even with paralysis. It moved it's appendages above the downed Kumonga and smacked him one final time, the bug/water type crashing into the wall.

"Kumonga!" Lillie cried in distress and Bishop and Pellimore were rushing to their friend's side only for one of the earlier dragons to grab Bishop from behind and pull them backwards.

Pell kept pushing the blonde forward and she knelt by the injured Araquanid, wincing at the bruising on his underbelly. Even still, he tried to get back on his feet but Lillie was spraying medicine over the injuries before returning him to his net ball.

 _ **"BZZ-XT!"**_

Another crash resounded and Lillie looked up and gave cry before Pell pulled her out of the way in time before Bishop's hull smashed into the wall where she had been standing by a moment ago. The Totem Pokemon had a new ally, the same kind of dragon that had stopped Hau, Gladion and Hapu from accompanying her, and Bishop could barely see straight as they struggled to move back into the air before collapsing with a clatter.

Lillie winced at the noise, trying to keep calm as she sprayed another full restore over the dents and scratches of Bishop's hull before pulling their poke-ball out. Bishop looked at her pleadinly but Lillie remained resolute. "I'm not letting you get anymore hurt out there," she said and put them back into their poke-ball.

Pell kept herself between the blonde and the Totem Pokemon and it's ally, but neither attacked. The blonde's breath was coming out ragged now as she looked to the remaining poke-balls. _They know fighting type moves, I don't trust myself to be able to keep Ruby out of harm's way,_ she thought, the nest ball clutched tightly before looking at the moon ball and heal ball. _And I don't want those two to get hurt-_

Pell nipped at her head, startling her for a moment before the Decidueye met her gaze. Chartreuse and amber locked before the latter looked to the net and moon balls- hand shaking, Lillie brought out Ruby and Ifrit. The Midnight Lycanroc looked around hopefully before her eyes fell on Lillie and Pell- she sagged but looked no less determined once she saw her opponents. The Magmorter blinked as she took in the surroundings before noting the Totem Pokemon and it's ally- while her eyes narrowed at Lillie momentarily, she ultimately joined Ruby and shifted into a battle stance.

"Ifrit, please use taunt! Ruby, please keep moving and use stone edge when you can!" she cried out as the Totem Pokemon looked ready to use the scales move from earlier.

 _That move the Totem Pokemon used before would destroy their defenses if it uses it again, and if we can keep them from getting close to us, we can take them down with long-range attacks!_

The Magmorter barked out several insults to the two dragons, sneering viciously. The Totem Pokemon snarled and was about to charge forward only for the paralysis to kick it, making it hiss in pain. The dragon kept charging forward and Ruby summoned forth the stalagmites from the floor- the stones racked against it's hide but it kept going forward and leaped above them.

"Ifrit, psychic- don't let it touch her!" Lillie cried out and the Magmorter's eyes glowed with power as she sent the dragon across the room and smash it into the wall, knocking it out.

 _That's another of it's allies down, but it's ability to bring them forward is troublesome,_ Lillie thought before an idea struck her. "Ruby, use stone edge and aim for it's mouth!"

The Midnight Lycanroc looked confused but nodded. When the Totem Pokemon forced itself through the paralysis and started to open it's mouth, Ruby aimed a stalagmite and punched it forward. The rock sailed through the air and right into the Totem Pokemon's mouth, halting it's roar with a choked gurgle and tapering off the summons. Ifrit snorted with amusement, sending Lillie an appraising smirk- said blonde returned with a bright grin.

 _ **"KG-G-G-G-GHH!"**_

The Totem Pokemon roared through the rock, trying to spit it out before twitching from the paralysis. "Ifrit, keep using psychic! Ruby, try to trap it with stone edge!"

Ifrit's eyes glowed again as she concentrated the attack at the Totem Pokemon but it jumped out of the ways of the blasts, albeit stumbling during the landing. Ruby summoned the stalagmites again in an attempt to pin it down but it just smashed apart the stones with the same uppercut from before letting loose a flash cannon at the Midnight Lycanroc. The Magmorter quickly moved to intercept, firing three flame bursts in succession that wore down the attack before her body took the last of it. She was forced back a few feet, claws digging into the stone with a grunt before she steadied herself but by then the Totem Pokemon was upon them.

The two leaped put of the way as the Totem Pokemon's fists smashed into the ground spraying dust and gravel in every which way. Ifrit and Ruby winced as some of it got in their eyes and the latter sneezed at the dust inside her nose. The Totem Pokemon grabbed Ruby by the torso and was about to slam her into the ground only for the paralysis to kick in and the throw became weaker. Ruby bounced against the floor before leaping backwards to land on her feet, claws raking against the floor.

Ifrit tried to use psychic again only for the Totem Pokemon's tail to smash into her and knock her against the opposite wall, barely missing Lillie while Pell protected her from the rubble. Ruby tried to use stone edge against the Totem Pokemon only for it to smash the rocks away with it's tail before it was frozen by Ifrit's psychic. It roared as it tried to break free from it before paralysis froze it's body.

 _We've got it on the ropes!_ Lillie thought triumphantly, hands squeezing into fists. _If we can keep this up-_

Then, she heard a shing! and Lillie looked to the pedestal where the Z-Crystal was beginning to shine with power. The Totem Pokemon's aura blazed brightly and it forced itself through the psychic attack and paralysis to cross it's arms in front of it before pushing them forward and then drawing them out with claws out-stretched. Then, the form of a winged dragon made from pure energy began to form between the Totem Pokemon's arms and it took flight.

"Psychic! Stone edge!" Lillie cried out.

The two obeyed and tried to hold the Z-Move back but it smashed right through the psychic energy and stalagmites and into the Magmorter and Midnight Lycanroc. Lillie couldn't hear or see anything beyond the noise of the attack or the intensity of the energy surrounding it until the attack itself had dissipated. When she opened her eyes, she was dismayed to find them both had been smashed into the wall, leaving sizable cracks behind them.

Ifrit struggled to get back on her feet but fell flat on her face while Ruby quivered from where she laid. Lillie raced to them both and grabbed two full restores, not realizing or caring that her back was to the Totem Pokemon. She winced at the painful looking wounds they both carried and did her best to heal what she could before taking their moon ball and nest ball out.

The Magmorter looked more disappointed with herself but gave a small nod to Lillie. "Thank you," the blonde murmured as she returned Ifrit to the moon ball.

When she turned to Ruby, the Midnight Lycanroc held up a shaking paw to stop her before grabbing the heal ball from Lillie and releasing Titus. The Alolan Ninetales looked around confused before his expression started to sour when he saw Lillie, only for Ruby to bonk him on the head.

 **"Viii?!"** Titus barked in surprise before the Midnight Lycanroc gave him a severe look.

She gestured to the poke-balls, to Pell and then to Lillie while growling lowly. Titus flinched before looking away angrily, trilling back hotly. Ruby's expression softened before she placed a paw on his head and murmured back to him comfortingly. She turned to Pell and gave a nod, which the Decidueye returned, before repeating the gesture to Lillie.

"Thank you," she said again and brought Ruby back to her nest ball.

Pell finally stood before Lillie, battle stance taken. Titus looked between the two of them, torn. The Totem Pokemon didn't wait for him to sort his thoughts out and sent a flash cannon straight at them. Pell grabbed him with her talons and threw him out of the way, barely missing the steel energy herself before sending a spirit arrow at it. The Totem Pokemon attempted again to bring it's arms up but paralysis kept him frozen and it snarled as the energy smashed into his chest, the repeated attacks making a dark bruise against the hide.

The Alolan Ninetales looked at the battle beside Lillie, eyes alight with confusion, anger, hurt and conflict. "Titus, I'm so sorry you and the others had to go through this," she whispered to him. "So much has happened and I know I didn't help things- you're right to be angry with me."

Pell let loose more spirit arrows- while some hit their mark, the Totem Pokemon smashed them aside and tried to uppercut her only for the fighting energy to phase right through her. This allowed the Decidueye to land an aerial ace across it's chest and shoulder, but it lacked the power of it's former flying type. The Totem Pokemon's claws glowed as it slashed at her, clipping her side and sending her sprawling.

"But beyond here, is a place that can bring someone that can help us save Asalie. We just need to get past this Pokemon and we''ll be that much closer to her!"

Titus's eyes widened in surprise and some hope at this while Pell's claws raked at the wall to help her get back into the air. The Totem Pokemon's jaws finally crushed the rock between them, but it couldn't roar anymore, it's throat was so hoarse. Instead, it let out a flash cannon towards Pell. The Decidueye flew through the air as the flash cannon carved paths through the stone as it tried to reach her. However, her space ran out as she nearly flew into the wall and her wing was clipped by the steel energy, making her cry out.

"You don't ever have to listen to me again- you can hate me all you want!"

The Decidueye struggled to keep in the air but the Totem Pokemon's claws had already closed around her foot and it smashed her into the ground twice before throwing her into the air and slashing down it's claws against her back. She was sent sprawling across the stone and landed against the wall, the Totem Pokemon advancing on her. She tried to get back on her feet but the damage was already done and she slumped against the stone, trapped.

"But please, just this once, will y-"

Lillie didn't have to finish her sentence, Titus was already leaping into battle and putting himself between Pell and the Totem Pokemon, the dragon claw phasing through his body just like the uppercut had with the Decidueye. He looked the Totem Pokemon in the eye before he gathered up a blast of lunar energy and sent it smashing into it's chest.

The Totem Pokemon tried to fight back, but with the power of the moon blast against it's dragon typing it was futile. Added with the damage it had taken from five other Pokemon, it was impressive it could still stand. For a moment, steel energy began to gather in it's mouth and Titus shivered but still held his ground- before the Totem Pokemon fell over backwards, unconscious.

Lillie stared stunned for a moment but she was already pulling out a full restore to heal Pell, the Decidueye looking to her with unabashed pride in her eyes. The blonde smile trembled as she brought her back into the poke-ball before turning to Titus. The Alolan Ninetales was frowning softly at her before giving a jerking nod, which the blonde returned albeit more fluidly.

"Hello!" she called to the end of the tunnel. "Gladion, Hau, Hapu! Are you there! I won!"

Immediately, she heard Hau whoop for joy before she saw them running to her, the dragons from before following at a more sedate pace. Hau reached her first and pulled her into a tight hug and twirled her around. For a moment, their noses touched and Lillie blinked at the blush that spread across Hau's face before he quickly put her down and shuffled away.

Gladion reached her next from where he had been leaning on Hapu, eyes focused but clearly worried as he looked her over. When he saw the Totem Pokemon being taken care of by the other dragons and the damage said Totem Pokemon had taken, he looked at her half incredulous, half amazed.

"Well, aren't you going to take it?" Hapu asked.

"Take what?"

The kahuna's smile only became warmer before she gestured to the pedestal where the Z-Crystal lay. "You defeated the Totem Pokemon and completed the trial- you've more than earned the Dragonium-Z."

"Y-yeah!" Hau chirped up. "You've earned it, Lillie!"

She smiled softly at this and went to the pedestal where the Z-Crystal shone indigo, reflecting the insignia of a claw. Lillie felt the warm and powerful energy within as light flare inside it and cast against her cupped hands. She shakily put the Z-Crystal away and then slumped to her knees as her breath went out as she realized what she had done.

Did all of that really just happen? Had she really defeated the most powerful Totem Pokemon in the world with a team of Pokemon she had taken from the girl she-

"Here," Gladion said gently and pulled out a canteen.

She shakily accepted it and downed two-thirds of the water before giving it back. "Are you doing better, Gladion?"

He gave a short nod before Hapu stated, "After this, he's gonna need time and care to get back to a hundred percent."

Suddenly, the Totem Pokemon was back on it's feet albeit shakily. Lillie tensed at this but the dragon only gave her a nod of acknowledgement and perhaps something of a smile before it retreated into the cave. "That was so cool," Hau breathed in amazement. "It's like they keep this whole place up by themselves!"

"They do," Hapu affirmed. "The Vast Poni Canyon trial was the first trial ever to be held. The first trial captain- Rya of the Dragons- became the example held of the trial captains of today. To the point where when she died, her dragons kept watch over this area and their descendants have done the same."

Even Gladion couldn't mask his amazement at this. "Let's go," he got out. "It's just ahead."

With that, the four humans and Alolan Ninetales made their way out of the cave and came to a great staircase that went up through the rocky outlook yet Lillie could clearly see the insigna of a star on the stone at the top. Two waterfalls ran down either side of the canyon, crashing down to form the river they had seen earlier.

"Here, let's get to the top!" Hau said and began to run up the stairs.

"Slow down a bit, there's some cracks and holes in the stone," Hapu called after him before following.

Lillie let Gladion lean on her and the older blond gave her a small smile before she took the poke-ball from his side and brought out Silvally. "I'm not letting you do any more walking today," she told him firmly but kindly.

The older blond sweat-dropped at this but Silvally was happy to see him and their tongue lolled out over his face. Gladion sputtered a bit but even he couldn't keep the smile off his face at the display of affection before they began heading up the stairs and to the top. Grass grew in odd patches but away from the stone of the steps and altar- which a stone courtyard in the shape of a diamond with two sides that were elevated over a small stream. One side had bright orange lining and a yellow sun on the floor, the other had purple lining and a blue moon there.

 _What a strange feeling,_ she thought, eyes glancing to the setting sun. _I feel as thought someone is looking down to us._

She took her backpack off and checked the inside, but Nebby remained still. Not once had they moved during their journey and they remained still even now. Even still, Lillie's determination didn't waver. _I will find my mother and made her see reason- I'll make her hear how I really feel. I may not be a trainer but I can do that much!_

 _Then, I'll find Asalie and apologize for not telling her sooner about all of this- and I'll do everything in my power to make it up to her. And I'll help Nebby return to normal and bring them back home- I'l repay them for saving me back then!_

Lillie pulled out and looked at the Sun Flute resting in her hands. _If we sound the Sun and Moon Flutes together, then the Legendary Pokemon will come down from the heavens,_ she remembered. _Now, all we need-_

Her thought was cut off by a roaring noise similar to a plane before her hair was blown out of her face. Shielding her head, Lillie looked beyond her elbow to see a Honchkrow flying through the air before a figure jumped down from there.

"Officer Nanu?" Gladion exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"You all got the Sun Flute?" the officer asked.

"Yeah- why?" Hau affirmed.

"We need you four back at Aether and the Sun Flute. More Wormholes are popping up again."

* * *

This turned out longer than I thought. For the life of me, I couldn't find a way to get the Celesteela battle to end. Oh, and I had to juggle two jobs and adjust to my new schedule.


	42. Chapter 42

TheSparklyKitten: Much drama indeed.

Also, your screen name makes me think of a sparkling kitten :)

Gigarot: Thanks :D

Guest: (Gollum Voice) _You will see~ Oh, yes~ You will see..._

* * *

 **Making an author's note here- sorry that this chapter took so long. It wasn't just more work, but the information in this chapter is very sensitive. In that it changes a great many things and in that the latter part of the chapter will have disturbing sequences. Viewer Discretion Is Advised.**

* * *

Mohn didn't know what to feel.

For the past five and half years, he had known little to nothing of himself- only his name and a song. He had lived among the Pokemon, making a life for himself amidst the wilderness and adapting to it. Then...

* * *

 _Mohn hummed under his breath as he brought up another basket of poke-beans. Sure they might have had another name, but it was what he called them._

 _The sky was splitting apart before it seemed to bend inwards to itself- he could see someone inside of it before they fell out onto the beach. The hole disappeared a moment later. He set the basket down and ran out to the figure- it was a green and black dog with scales glitching around it's body and a collar around it's neck with a red stone, dragging against the sand and water._

 _Mohn hadn't taken a step forward before it began to howl harshly and ran over him. The stout blond looked back behind him as the canine roared and smashed it's way through the trees, not caring for what it ran into. It crashed against trees, slammed against rocks and got knocked away by the waves but it didn't stop moving or howling- both radiated desperation and despair._

 _The canine seemed to have finally exhausted itself, limping across the destroyed parts of the jungle before collapsing sideways. Then before Mohn's eyes, the canine began to change shape- it's paws became hands and feet, front legs adjusting into arms and the green and black scales slowly receding but never truly disappearing. Slumped on the ground was now a brown-haired and skinned teenage girl._

* * *

For the first time since he arrived on that island, Mohn experienced new memories- or rather, the ones he had forgotten. His full name, Mohn Paradisi, the Ultra Womrholes and the creatures inside them. That had explained how the girl had appeared and come to his island.

* * *

 _He didn't want to think of what she might have gone through in there to leave her in such a state. She had exhausted herself the first day but when she had awoken, she started screaming frantically before turning back into the canine form she had when she arrived and barreling back out. She didn't cause as much destruction now, but her howls still had the edge of desperation and despair the first day._

 _He went out to see her again when the sun was going down and she stumbled on all fours before slumping on the beach. The howls had regressed to low whimpers and he saw tears leaking past the inner corners of her eyes. Mohn knelt by her side and pulled one of his makeshift blankets over her form, hand gently scratching her head._

 _She leaned into the touch, eyes widening for a moment when the iris-less green eyes locked on him. Mohn couldn't help feeling a little self-conscious under the gaze before she slumped against the sand, limp. Under the blanket, the canine form shrunk and became the girl again. He took her back to the hut and placed her on the mattress and slept beside it._

 _When he woke up, the girl was already awake but had resumed the canine form. Yet, she stayed in the hut and watched him. Mohn offered her food and she took it before heading outside again. When the sun set again, she returned and settled back in._

* * *

Then Grimsley showed up as well and got them all help off the island. Mohn had been surprised that his spare cell phone had survived the wind, rain and impact, but the man had simply said that it was one of the perks of his position.

A white boat had come for them and Mohn recognized the crest on it- Aether Paradise. The foundation that he oversaw, that he led- how could he have forgotten it?

He expected it to be rather awkward to return to this place- he had been gone for so long and he only just remembered it was so important. When he saw the floating island and the employees about that either snapped to attention, crowded around him with relief or started to flat-out cry when they saw him, Mohn didn't know what to think.

 _I know these people- or at least, they know me,_ he thought as he was led through. _Even with so much time gone, they still look to me like that- and I barely remember anything._

The girl- Asalie- was taken by the doctors while Grimsley stayed with him. They went to the officers there in the building, police tape over several sections that included the basement that Astrid made her own lab and office-

* * *

 _"Moooohn!"_

 _The boy looked up from where he was resting under the tree. A girl his age with black hair tied back, eyes the same color and bronze skin and freckles stood over him. "Oh- hey."_

 _"'Hey', he says," she grumbles before continuing. "I've been looking all over for you- I'm bored and you're not doing anything. Let's go play!"_

 _"What about your mother?"_

 _"I already finished up my duties and whatnot- now come on!"_

* * *

Astrid. How could he have forgotten her?! The ward of his father's maid, the only child around his age that didn't treat him like his father, his first friend-

"Mohn Paradisi."

He was started out of his thoughts by the officer before him. "I am Agent Looker of the International Police. We have much to discuss."

International Police? What were they doing in Aether? Their company had always done their best to stick to the law and not foster a reputation of being cruel or underhanded. Even if he didn't agree with most of his father's ideals, this had been the one thing they had agreed with always. "I don't understand," he got out, cold fear beginning to grip his stomach. "What's happened? I- I've been gone for so long- I only just started remembering-"

"He has amnesia- or had, to be more precise," Grimsley explained, hand on the stout blond's shoulder.

Officer Looker's expression softened. "I see," and nodded to the blonde officer by him. "If you would escort him to the infirmary, I and the others will be with you shortly."

"Others? What-?"

"We'll explain soon," Grimsley promised and walked down with them to the infirmary.

Mohn took the bed gratefully and sat down heavily, head spinning- so much was happening, he could barely take it all in. What had happened while he was gone? He almost didn't want to know, but the dread and anticipation in his stomach were beginning to make him sick.

"Mr.- Mr. President?"

He looked up at the voice and saw an olive-skinned man with brown hair laying in bed with a brunette officer standing at attention, as well as a woman with thick mauve hair and glasses. "A-" Mohn began, the man's name on the tip of his tongue before the woman grasped his arm.

"It really is you? You- are finally back?" she rasped.

* * *

 _"Good morning, young master. You've got a big day ahead of you."_

 _Mohn winced as the curtains were drawn over him and sunlight splayed across his face. The figure of the stewardess smiled down on him gently before yanking the blankets off of him. making him curl on the mattress._

 _"Would you rather Astrid wake you with a bucket of cold water?"_

* * *

 _"Hey Mohn!"_

 _He looked up from his notes to see Astrid pulling a bedraggled young man along with them. "Mohn, Ash, Ash, Mohn," she gestured between the two of them before adding, "He's my lunch date."_

 _The brunet- Ash- startled at this declaration before turning beet red._

* * *

 _"So this Ashwin Nalani is your boyfriend?"_

 _Astrid nodded- her eagerness had been toned down before her mother but Sophia Wicke's expression was as gentle as ever. Ashwin shuffled on his feet, bangs coming to rest over his eyes and beet-red face._

 _"Well, I expect you to take good care of my ward," Sophia stated with a nod towards him._

 _"I will- I swear!" Ashwin exclaimed before shrinking back._

* * *

 _"Hey everybody, have you heard the news?! I'm a dad!"_

 _Aristol twitched violently as Ash's voice rang around the area as he skipped across the floor. "I have a half a mind to dock him his pay- or kick him out literally!"_

 _"I have a son, Aether Employees! I have a son, conservation Pokemon!"_

 _"Let him have this," Mohn said with a smile. "Astrid'll be worse if she hears you bullying him."_

 _"Hey receptionist, I've got a son- did you know that? I have a son, people on the other side of the mini cameras that are stuck in the cracks of the walls! I have a son, Alolan - WHOA!"_

* * *

"Miss Sophia... Ash." the names came to him without impulse.

Ashwin swallowed back a visible lump in his throat while Sophia beamed with wet eyes. "It is good to have you back," she whispered.

His own smile trembled before he heard running footsteps to the door and it slammed open. A blond young man was leaning against a white-canine chimera panted harshly as he stared straight at Mohn.

"Young master!" Sophia exclaimed, wincing as she clutched at her chest.

The blond pulled himself off of the white canine-chimera's back without a word and forced himself in front of Mohn, the stout blond unconsciously drawing back before the younger grabbed the front of his shirt.

 _"Where the hell have you been?!"_ he rasped, voice trying to rise to a shout but held back. _"We thought you were dead!"_

"Gladion!" a green-haired boy ran to him and tried to pull the blond back, Sophia's "Young Master, no!" right behind him as she tried to put herself between them.

 _"Do you have any idea what we went through with you gone all this time?! What she did because you disappeared?!"_

"Gladion, you gotta calm down!" the green-haired boy pleaded.

 _"I'm not-!"_ he began to snarl before he began to cough violently.

Mohn was stunned into silence before he felt something wet against his shirt- red and clear began to stain the fabric. The blond collapsed to his knees, coughing harshly, blood leaking past his mouth and water past his eyes. Sophia quickly knelt beside him and her arms curled around him protectively. "Please Young Master, don't push yourself anymore..."

"She's right, you've gone through enough today," the green-haired boy agreed as he helped Sophia help the blond up. "You gotta take it easy..."

Gladion. He knew that name, not just in his mind but in his heart, in his bones.

* * *

 _"Mohn, I..."_

 _Bright yellow eyes looked at him with fear and he felt afraid to. Did something happen._

 _But that fear disappeared when she showed him the object in her hands. "I-I checked four times," she stuttered, eyes filling with tears. "I- I'm so-"_

 _He pulled her into a tight hug before kissing her forehead. "I don't know how you keep doing it," he whispered._

 _"D-doing what?"_

 _"Making me the happiest man in the world."_

* * *

 _She slumped against the hospital bed, Sophia cradling the crying baby and wrapping it- him- in a warm blanket. Mohn put a shaking hand against her jet black hair and kissed her forehead. "You did great, he's okay," he choked out, tears sliding down his face as he accepted the bundle. "Look."_

 _She accepted the baby, a look of wonder on her face as she stroked his face. The baby slowly calmed down to her touch before burrowing itself against her chest. "Hello, baby," she whispered, kissing his forehead. "Hello, Gladion."_

* * *

 _My son- that's my son! My son's hurt!_

Mohn was on his feet a second later and tried to go towards Gladion, but the young man glared at him with such a vitriol, it froze him. Sophia looked worriedly between the two as she helped Gladion sit down and the green-haired boy looked torn before joining her as well. Further examination saw that he was really hurt, bandages around his chest, along with several other nicks and scars across his upper body.

 _Where did he get those? How did he get those? What happened to him to hurt him like this?_

The door opened again and Officer Looker came in with a blonde girl with ponytail followed after him. Her eyes flickered to the blond young man and green-haired boy before they rested on Mohn himself. She gasped, eyes widening.

 _"Daddy?"_

* * *

 _"Gladion dear?"_

 _The toddler looked up from his plush Eevee as she and Mohn sat down beside him. "Mama? Papa?"_

 _"Me and your papa have an announcement to make- you're going to be getting a younger sibling!"_

* * *

"Nrrrg!"

 _Lusie slumped against the hospital bed, panting harshly as Sophia pulled away and wrapped the baby in a warm blanket. Mohn held her hand tightly in his own, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "You did great, Lusie," he murmured._

 _She smiled wearily as she accepted the bundle from Sophia. The baby cried softly but curled into Lusie's chest. The door opened a moment later and Gladion rushed inside. "She here?!" he exclaimed before Lusie gently shushed him- his hand quickly zipped his mouth shut and settled by her side to look at the baby._

 _"She's... so tiny," he said in wonder, reaching to her before her hand tightly around his index finger._

* * *

 _The four of them settled on the couch with a bowl of popcorn between them as Mohn turned on the TV. Lillie settled on Lusie's lap while Gladion curled up next to him. The movie was an old, old classic and he had only just found it after it had been gathering dust in the attic._

* * *

 _Gladion. Lillie. Lusie!_

Mohn's heart skipped a beat as those names repeated themselves in his head. His wife, his children- he had forgotten them all and left them alone for so long!

"Here, don't push yourself anymore today," the green-haired boy said firmly as he helped him into a bed.

Lillie looked torn and upset but followed his stead and sat by the bed. "He... told us you don't remember- that you have amnesia-"

"I remember- I swear- I just need time-" the words came out desperately, broken. He put them all through this for so long, he had to make things right! "They're coming back the longer I'm here! I know you're my children- and I know that I love you!"

Lillie trembled, tears starting to fill her eyes and her hand came up to muffle the sob in her throat. Gladion stared at this, torn between anger and longing. "When you disappeared, everything changed- for the worse," he rasped.

And the dread was back full force at this, Mohn's face crumbling at the news. What had happened after he disappeared? Why did none of them mention Lusie?

"Mohn Paradisi," Officer Looker stated, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We have very little time to speak."

"Wait a minute, don't you think he'd like to be with Gladion and Lillie?" the green-haired boy protested.

"He's right, Hau- I want to know," Gladion got out before turning to Mohn again, expression becoming more hurt than angry. "I- we saw you- disappear that day. Because you disappeared, Lusamine- our mother- she-"

"Why- why did you call her that?" Mohn asked, the dread becoming stronger. "What's happened to Lusie- what's happened to your mother?!"

"We will explain, but we must hear from you first," Looker said sternly.

After that, Mohn wasn't sure he wanted to know- he didn't like being in the dark about this, but he recognized things were dire.

"Me and Astrid, a childhood friend of mine, researched ancient history in college and saw strange sightings listed in some records that spoke of strange creatures that people weren't sure were Pokemon. Soon, it sparked an idea in me- perhaps these strange creatures couldn't be found because they came from a different dimension."

* * *

 _"Another dimension?"_

 _Astrid looked up from her cup ramen when Mohn had told her his idea. She looked thoughtful before grinning. "Let's open up this bag of Weedle!"_

* * *

"Is-?" he asked sofly, hopefully. "Is Astrid okay?"

Ashwin didn't meet his eyes and Looker said, "Please try and stay on topic."

"R-right. We got through college and put away the research for years. We went on with our lives, I became president after my father passed away and Astrid joined up as a scientist. It was just after she had her second child when she came to me with the notes again."

* * *

 _"Mohn! Lookit what I found!"_

 _He looked up from where he was leaning on his chair as Astrid burst into the room, holding some folders and packets and barely keeping them all together. "Are those-?"_

 _"Yup!" She splayed them in front of his desk, barely missing his coffee cup and coaster. "Our notes from college- I was trying to clean up around home and found them!"_

 _Mohn looked through them with a soft smile- college was both a great joy and a huge problem for him back then. With classes, debts and new people around him, it was an entirely different environment than he was accustomed to, especially after being home-schooled for so long. "Are you going to keep these?"_

 _"Well..."_

 _There was that look on her face- a half smile and calculating gleam in her black eyes. Mohn knew that look well, as it was always on her face before they either reached a breakthrough or exploded their current project. "All right, out with it," he said, half-playfully._

 _"Maybe we could start this up again- right here, you know?" She pointed to the top-most project there._

 _Mohn looked it over- this had been when they were studying ancient texts and conspiracies. Because debates on paranormal and supernatural activity were happening so often back then, he had wanted to try and study them and Astrid had joined in enthusiastically. They had found texts describing strange creatures but no evidence they existed- Astrid had come across a book on Alolan mythology but they never had a chance to read it because of the exams coming up._

 _"I can find that book again if I looked, I still know it's name," Astrid suggested. "And we could do this on the side, whenever we can spare time..."_

 _"Feeling nostalgic, Astrid?" Mohn inquired. "Or is taking care of your second child too much for you?"_

 _"Hell no! I love my little star- but we can still do_ so much _with this, Mohn!" she said, spreading her arms out. "Think of it- discovering creatures from different worlds, creatures that aren't Pokemon..."_

 _"Well... it does sound pretty intriguing."_

* * *

"It had been hard when we were just college students, but with more resources and our team of scientists, we were able to discover and find much more."

* * *

 _"The energy readout is becoming stronger!"_

 _The team of Aether employees were spread out now over Ten Carat Hill, exploring the caves as their counters began to react rather strongly. Mohn looked over the notes he and Astrid had made- she was taking care of her daughter, she had a bad case of the flu._

 _Ten Carat Hill had been blocked away for as long as people could remember- only those who had defeated the first trial and kahuna could have access to this area after all. They had been able to receive special permission from the Kahuna to seek out of the source of this energy, but only if they did nothing to disturb the Pokemon in that area._

 _"Sir, we may have found something!" one of employees called over to him._

 _Mohn went to the scene where the energy reading was beginning to break off the charts. He was out of the cave now and in the center of the meadow. Looking closely and from the flying type's view above them, the flowers and grass around this area was shaped like a star. He looked down at the center of the field and motioned over the others and brought out a Kantoneon Sandslash._

 _It dug deeper and deeper into the center until it came back up with a fetus-like object, dark indigo, blue and black. Mohn took out the book Astrid had shown him, the one that now only existed in the Malie Library._ The creature conceived between the Beast that Devoured the Sun and the Beast that Called the Moon, a fragile heir born to Alola to keep it from strife...

* * *

"That was in the book!" Lillie suddenyl exclaimed and pulled out the same book he had used so many years ago.

"Yes... I remember this book." Mohn felt the pages, felt the age of the paper, his gaze becoming more focused. "We dubbed the creature Cosmog and took it into Aether Paradise- we looked after it and studied it, and found that the gases it emitted could break apart time-space and create an Ultra Wormhole- we collected the gases manually when it became clear that the tests were causing discomfort for them. Even still, our simulations went off without a hitch and we decided to try and open a true wormhole.

His gaze became pensive. "The day we attempted first contact was also 'Bring-your-family-to-work-day'."

* * *

 _"Whee!"_

 _"Look over there!"_

 _"Wow, this is so cool!"_

 _Aristol Faba twitched as he tried to avoid the children around them as they ran about the area, trying to see everything and everyone there while Bernadette Faba held onto his arm and shoosh-papped him. "This is not a daycare, nor is this a field trip," he gritted through his teeth._

 _"Of course not, it's-"_

"I know what it's called!" _he exclaimed._ "Why did she insist on bringing in all these brats for this historical day?!"

 _"I gave up trying to understand Astrid years ago- science has no rational explanation for her," Bernadette Faba stated, adjusting her glasses. "Prayhaps you can join me and gain some of my serenity, dear hubby of mine?"_

 _Aristol turned the same shade of red as her hair and muttered venomously under his breath while Bernadette nodded along with it sagely. Lusie smiled softly at the sight of the children playing- Lillie had gone off and pulled Astrid's second child, a little girl of nine years old, along to look at the Pokemon while Gladion stayed with her._

 _"Don't you want to play with the other children, Gladion dear?" she asked gently._

 _"I'm fine here," he replied. "I'm not a little kid anymore."_

 _"Neither is Astin and he's playing with them." Indeed, Astrid's son had just turned nineteen and was letting the younger children hang off of his arms._

 _Gladion scowled at this display and turned away. "I wanna be with you," he mumbled._

 _Lusie's eyes widened for a moment before she beamed. "All right- just be careful."_

* * *

"Our scientists brought their families to watch the experiment- Astrid and Ash brought her son and daughter, Aristol and Bernadette brought their respective in-laws, and I brought the two of you and Lusie..."

His expression became strained. "Something went wrong- I'm not sure what- then _they_ appeared."

"The Ultra Beasts," Looker stated- it wasn't a question.

"Yes- we were in awe and Bernadette attempted to approach them... they killed her first." Mohn looked down at his hands. "It was chaos- sheer chaos. More and more were coming in- I tried to shut it down..."

He shook his head. "The next thing I knew, I was on an island. Everything hurt- my head especially- and I had no idea how I got there or where I came from. All I remembered was my name."

"So, you don't remember how you got from there to Alola again," Gladion said with a frown.

"I'm afraid not- my only guess is I must have stumbled across a Cosmog and agitated enough so that it caused another Ultra Wormhole and that brought me back. That would probably account for how my visitor was able to appear where I was as well."

"'Visitor'?" Lillie repeated.

"We found Asalie Nalani on the same island as him," Grimsley finally spoke up.

"Asa's here?!" Hau exclaimed. "Really?!"

"That's right."

The green-haired boy let out a whoop of cheer and Lillie looked so relieved, smile stretching across her face. "Thank goodness..."

"Looks like we don't have to go into Ultra Space after all," Gladion remarked, but he looked relieved as well, a small smile worming it's way onto his face.

"Asalie... she's Astrid's girl, isn't she," Mohn realized with a small smile before adding, "But, I don't suppose you can tell me how she can turn into a Zygarde?"

The three's joy was cut off by this as they stared in confusion at the question. "She- can't," Lillie said softly.

Officer Looker's expression became grave at this while Ashwin curled into himself, Detect giving him a look not devoid of sympathy- Mohn and Grimsley exchanged glances before the latter looked worried. "Is this related to how her brother turned into Zygarde too?" he wondered.

"Where is she? Where is Asalie?!" Lillie demanded. "I want to see her, now!"

Looker's expression becomes conflicted. "I can show you."

He opened his phone and put in a few numbers before showing them all the screen. In a closed off room, Asalie and Astin were both lying in guneries, limbs strapped in place. On their faces, arms, hands and chests are green and black scales. Asalie was visibly struggling, eyes squeezed shut while Astin laid unmoving.

"What happened to them?" Gladion asked lowly.

Ashwin was beginning to shake violently as Detect stated, "This is highly delicate information-"

"Asa's our friend! If something bad's happened to her, then we wanna know so we can help her!" Hau cried out. "And who would believe us if we told someone anyways, even if we did decide to?!"

"This also has to do with what has happened here the past five and a half years," Looker told Mohn.

The dread recoiled back in his stomach but he nodded nevertheless.

* * *

By the time they had finished telling Mohn what had happened after he disappeared, the stout blond had slumped his head against his hands, completely silent. His eyes were wide and staring ahead blankly. Lillie didn't know what to feel now- her father was back after so long, but she and her brother and mother had changed so much and had changed others around them.

"I'm so sorry," he rasped, struggling to hold back a sob. "I'm so, so sorry..."

Lillie looked to him with sadness and sympathy but Gladion's expression remained stoic- why should they have to comfort him when he had been living peacefully and had only just come back into their lives?

 _He had no way of knowing, no way of getting to us,_ part of him thought. _Are you really going to blame him for something beyond his control?_

 _Yes,_ the more irrational part of him said defiantly. _If it wasn't for his research, none of us would be in this situation._

"So, what does this have to do with Asa and Astin and how they turned into Zygardes?" Hau asked.

Detect and Looker averted their gazes to Ashwin. The man flinched under their eyes, trying to calm his shaking- the former's scowl softened at this display and she set a hand on his shoulder. "Say what you can, and then I'll finish."

He nodded miserably. "Mr. Nalani?" Lillie said softly, part of her starting to feel dread at the answers they were about to recieve.

"... you know, Astin takes more from Astrid than me. They're fearless, easy-going, always happy wherever the wind takes them. But me and Asalie- we're not so carefree. We can barely get close to anyone without being afraid."

He looked at them, eyes wide and with dark circles and a half terrified, half longing look in them. "But ever since she's met you two, I barely see that side of her- she's become stronger, braver, more at ease. I owe it to the two of you and her Pokemon Team for this."

"Mr. Nalani... is it bad?" Hau asked, trying to force his own fear down. "Is that happened to Asa really that bad?"

Ashwin is shaking now, expression shadowed. Detect looks ready to speak before his hands clench. "I can- I can-"

Detect nodded to this. "Start however you like."

* * *

 _Ashwin Bark checked his watch again as he struggled to balance his papers in his hands. This was the part of his job that he hated them most- he could never handle paperwork well, the letters and numbers would always jumble together under his eyes. He could handle being an aide, could handle the grunt work with enthusiasm, but paperwork?_

 _His thought cut off as his foot accidentally caught behind his opposite ankle and sent him forward, crashing into the ground and nearly crushing his nose while the papers went flying. "Oh shit!" a voice exclaimed above him. "Are you okay?!"_

 _He stumbled for an answer as he bent down to pick up the papers as a young woman knelt to help him pick them up. "Oh, you're the aide from Devon right?" she remarked._

 _Ashwin's thoughts stumbled to a halt before exclaiming, "Y-yes! I mean, yes, that's me."_

 _She smiled- well, more grinned, at him. "Astrid Nalani- good to have you here."_

 _"Ash-Ashwin Bark. Thank you."_

* * *

"I met my wife when she and Devon collaborated briefly. I was just an aide but they had me run messages and other sensitive items between them. She was a scientist and close friend to the son of the Aether Foundation's President's son. We kept meeting as I delivered what they needed before she asked me to sit with them for lunch if I had the time."

"Lunch, dinner, breakfast, Fridays, weekends, Holidays- I didn't even realize it until after we had stopped collaborating and had kept going for a full year with her." He laughed weakly. "I made sure I couldn't turn down the invitations, not when someone like her had noticed someone like me. Before I knew it, I had moved in with her, she became pregnant with Astin, and then Asalie."

"When she told me they had come up with something that would change everything, she was so happy- she wanted the whole world to see, that's why she had the testing scheduled on Bring-Your-Family-To-Work day."

* * *

 _"Welcome everybody!" Astrid called to the crowd behind the safety rails surrounding the scientists and their machines._

 _Asalie peeked beneath the rails while clutching Astin's shirt, the older's hand ruffling her hair absently as she continued to explain the Ultra Wormhole and their attempts to open it up. "With this, we'll be able to see new life, a whole new world!" Astrid spread her arms out with an excited grin. "I hope you're all as excited as we are!"_

 _Then, the generator began to shake- the Wormhole began to turn darker, magenta and black energy crackling around it._

 _A creature with a large spherical head, white with bright blue, pink and yellow scales dotting it's body, long, lanky limbs with limbs like punching gloves appeared- the energy crackled around it, making it screech before throwing it off._

 _"Holy hell..." Bernadette Faba whispered, starting to walk towards it as though she wasn't aware of her actions._

 _The moment she took a step forward, the Ultra Beast appeared in front of her with it's arm above her right shoulder, Bernadette's head thudding against the ground before it rolled to a stop before the children and family members. Someone screamed and they all tried to run away, just in time for more creatures to appear through the Wormhole._

 _A brick wall with glowing blue power, red and cream insectile-humanoid creatures, a gigantic black crab-like stomach-_ _Ashwin ran to his children, heedless of the monsters as he tried to reach them- but the monsters had already reached them. "ASH NO!" Astrid screamed as she ran after him._

CRACK

 _Light flooded behind him and Ashwin was knocked forward and against the ground harshly, rolling until the wall stopped him. The air was knocked out of his lungs and his back felt like it was on fire. The last thing he saw were the other families laying in heaps, blood starting to stain the floor- and his son and daughter were among them._

* * *

His arms were trembling as they clutched either upper arm. "The monsters disappeared after that- and we were left tending to those left," he rasped. "Astrid- she..."

* * *

 _When Ashwin came to, he was lying on his front. His back's pain made his breath hitch before he concentrated harshly on steadying his breathing. His eyes flickered around him, the memories of what had happened to bring him there flooded back._

Where are they?! Where are my kids?! Astrid-

 _His eyes finally fell on two more beds- Astin's chest and limbs were bandaged tightly with splints while Asalie's head was heavily bandaged with a brace around her neck. Astrid was standing over them_ _, eyes wide and her irises shrunken. "It's all my fault," she kept saying, hunched over her children as the heart monitor beeped. "I had to bring them in to see- I had to have everybody see!"_

 _She clutched at her head. "It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault-"_

 _She slapped herself harshly at this, the smack echoing in the space. Ashwin tried to reach her but he was too weak to move, too weak to speak. He could only watch as a maniacal light entered his wife's eyes. "But I'm not letting it end like this."_

 _He could only watch as Astrid wheeled the two away along with the life support machines, leaving him alone._

* * *

"It took me months to recover properly- I barely ever saw Astrid after that, it was like she was trying to avoid everyone," Ashwin said, voice hoarse. "The one time I did see her... it was like she was a different person."

* * *

 _Ashwin limped against the wall- his back still caused him agony, but he had learned to deal with it. He had seen Astrid limping past the infirmary, supported by Aristol Faba._

 _Astrid leaned against the wall, panting harshly- a syringe glowing blue was in her hand and a pinprick of blood trickled down from where it punctured her skin. "Are- are you sure this'll work?" she rasped._

 _"After the work she and I put into it, it had damn well better," Aristol Faba growled._

 _She shuddered before straightening up, her eyes wide and a gleam to them. She panted for her breath and Ashwin's eyes widened when he saw the faintest blue glow in her mouth. "Oh yeah," she growled. "This'll work."_

 _Aristol Faba leered with triumph, "Good to hear," before stalking off._

 _Ashwin shivered as he barely avoided being seeing before reaching for his wife. "Astrid-?" he began before she whirled around and he was on his back, her elbow jammed into his throat._

 _"Did you hear that?!" she hissed, face contorted in fury._

 _He gasped, trying to regain his breath only for her to press down harder. "Don't come near me ever again," Astrid growled before standing back up and stalking away._

* * *

"The N-1 Bolster Serum- the same that Faba forced you to take." Gladion said, brow furrowing. "Lusamine- mother, must have taken it too."

"Yes," Ashwin said, head bowing further. "He said he knew where I lived and had ways of tracking down Astin and Asalie if I didn't cooperate. I took just enough so I could still control my impulses and not be over-whelmed."

"I couldn't take it any more after I finally recovered. I went down to the lab directly to confront her and-"

He slumped against his chair, hands clutching his head. "I'm- I'm so- sorry- I couldn't do anything. Not for anyone- not for my family- I was useless! _Completely useless!"_

Detect laid a hand on his shoulder as he crumbled forward, shaking harshly as he tried to stifle his sobs. "I am Officer Detect, my specialization is interrogation and forensic evidence. With my Pokemon, I can scan and pick up evidence otherwise missed- I can even recreate certain crime scenes should I have enough concentration and data."

Her eyes closed. "I know what Astrid Nalani has done with Astin and Asalie Nalani."

* * *

 _Astrid stayed in her lab for months. She took the wriggling green things- cells, she called them- and began to set them on the young man and little girl carefully. She gently infused each cell into them carefully and where the cell merged with skin, the damage healed._

 _Between each surgery, Astrid had begun to take a strange substance- a pale blue liquid that glowed in the syringe that she injected into her wrists. "You'd better be right about this, Aristotle," she muttered after the first dose._

 _As the days passed, a subtle but disturbing change was coming over Astrid the longer she took the substance- no longer did she look upon her children with love and concern, but with an anticipation and cold calculation. She didn't care when they cried out in pain, even strapping tape over their mouths to muffle them as she continued her work on them. With each injection, she became worse._

 _Even with the children's lives saved, she began to graft bits and pieces of the Ultra Beast corpses into them. Her notes began to change as well, citing different parts of the Ultra Beast that would enhance their ability to understand combat and increase their learning ability. She wrote of creating the Ultimate Creature._

 _"My stars'll slaughter them," she kept whispering, eyes wide and with a manic smile. "My stars'll kill those monsters..."_

 _The first day of the fourth month, s_ _everal shouts and roars came from outside the room. Astrid paid them no mind until the door was suddenly smashed open- she shouted in surprise and covered the two from debris. A low growling came from behind her- a canine-like Pokemon with several different different kinds of limbs and a deathly pale face._

 _ **"Grrrr..."**_

 _The creature growled as it stalked towards Astrid. The woman grabbed the poke-ball containing Ariados and threw it at the creature. The bug/poison type screeched in surprise at the foe and tried to use poison jab only for the creature to bite down on the appendages, ripping them right off the Ariados before throwing it across the room. The Ariados twitched and then became still before the creature leaped on Astrid and it's fangs closed around her arm as she tried to defend herself._

 _"Shit-!"_

 _As it came closer to Astrid, two more shrieks rent the air._ _The creature looked behind Astrid and she followed it's line of sight- Astin and Asalie had broken free of their restraints and both were on all fours against the floor. The green and black on their skin was slowly spreading across their body- and changing it along the way. Astin's body became more serpentine, his arms and legs disappearing into the growing mass of coils. Asalie's was becoming more canine, her face becoming longer and her teeth fangs._

 _"Incredible..." Astrid whispered, expression amazed and hungry even with the bones of her arms cracking in the creature's jaw._

 _Where Astin and Asalie once stood were two Zygarde- one an Arbok-like snake, the other a canine with leash dragging behind and secured with a red stone. Both crackled with power and rage and then let out roars. The creature didn't back down and bounded to them with another roar of it's own._

 _The next few minutes were ones of chaos and confusion as the three creatures grappled furiously while Astrid had backed away to the ruined door and took shelter behind it. Blood- jet black blood- splattered against the floor and walls until the two Zygarde stood triumphant over the twitching creature, unable to fight._

 _"Astrid!" a man's voice cried out from outside the room before the same man that was in the wedding pictures with her burst in. "Oh God-!"_

 _Astrid paid him no mind as she stumbled towards the two Zygarde, eyes wide with happiness and an enraptured smile spreading on her face. "Kids..." she whispered, arms spreading out._

 _The Zygarde rushed into her embrace, fangs sinking into her throat and chest. Her smile never wavered as the two ripped her body into pieces._


	43. Chapter 43

Gigarot: Mohn fills in the gaps left behind- also, I wanted to do more with him.

Like the description says for Nihilego's toxins, it can't influence what's not there- it just amplifies the person's feelings. Like Fladerization (see TV Tropes) in TV shows and other media types (RIMSHOT)

Iron-ninja: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA

Guest: Congratulations, you're the 200th reviewer! I'd say this via PM, but am unable to.

See Gigarot's response for my feelings on Mohn.

That and their hard work killed people- on a side note, Faba is Bernadette's surname and SAU!Aristol took it.

Indeed- also see Gigarot's response for the toxins. Also, thank you. Being compared to Kill la Kill means a lot.

Huh, never thought of it like that. ZYGARDE SMASH! PUNY LUSAMINE

* * *

Hau stumbled back and slumped onto the floor, Gladion looked horrified and Lillie felt her stomach recoil in horror. Of all the things she had imagined that Asalie had been inflicted by, this was worse than anything she had thought of.

"I'm sorry- I'm so sorry!"Ashwin sobbed brokenly, curled into a ball. "I didn't do anything- I couldn't-"

"How did no one find this out?!" Hau finally shrieked, getting his voice back. "How did-" He trained off, shaking.

"They covered it up- made it look like some of the Pokemon had gone berserk instead," Gladion stated, eyes still wide. "I knew Lusa- mother, made Type: Null, but this..."

"The International Police only caught on to the Ultra Beasts when they began to terrorize the islands," Looker said, brow creased. "And we only learned of Ultra Space and what they were from-"

He cut himself off, eyes closing for a moment before he finished, "Intelligence."

"What I'd like to know is how neither of them knew of what Astrid had made them into," Grimsley said with a frown.

"Most likely a mental block- the transformation that Asalie went through serves as enough evidence to suggest it's a defense mechanism," Detect said, turning to Ashwin. "Adding to that, neither of them remembered what had happened or how they both killed Astrid- it was easy to fill out the blanks by claiming it had been a Pokemon-caused accident that hurt them and killed their mother."

"But then, did Aether know about what Asa's mom did? Did Miss Lusamine and Mr. Faba know too?" Hau asked.

"They must have- that would explain why mother was so fascinated by Asalie," Lillie said softly, looking back at Gladion. "I never knew- neither of us did."

"Then..." Hau turned to Wicke. "You knew about this?"

Wicke nodded miserably.

"And they made sure you would keep your mouth shut about this," Gladion deduced.

She remained silent, eyes locked on the floor with an expression of utter guilt and defeat. Mohn reached to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, silent. Grimsley's eyes shut at this before saying, "So, what's the news on the Ultra Wormholes?"

Looker showed them a screen that had several red dots appearing on them over Alola. "We've managed to track down the energy signatures and have alerted the islands. Our forces are already spread too thin, so it will be up to the inhabitants as well to protect themselves."

"The wormholes are created by gases Cosmog emits, so it's safe to assume the reason for them popping up now is because of the Cosmog in Ultra Space," Detect put in, turning to Mohn. "You said before that they emit gases when they're in pain, so it stands to reason that they must be in severe pain wherever they are."

"It's... probably because of what Lusie- Lusamine, did," he got out. "And it must still be happening..."

"With Guzma with her, I don't think it's surprising that they're making more trouble there," Gladion admitted, frowning softly as his father tried to hold back a wince.

"S-so, the only way to stop them is to go into Ultra Space ourselves," Hau deduced. "We've got both the flutes and we know when to sound them off-"

"But no one to head in," Looker finished. "The Ultra Beasts are incredibly powerful and we only know of seven kinds, and the trainers here are all trying to keep things under control on the island. We need all the help we can get to fight."

"Red Ash and Blue Oak are on Poni Island- so is the trial captain Mina!" Lillie put in, mentally apologizing to the two first trainers.

Looker and Detect double-took at that before the former quickly recovered. "Thank you for this information," he said before standing up. "I'll be on my way now.

* * *

In the end, half of the agents there moved out to the four islands via boat and available flying types with Looker spearheading the charge. He left Detect and Lein in charge of looking over Aether Paradise and getting in contact with the other regions. Wicke was a great help to this, even with her injuries, and showed them the communication hub.

"Can you really do this from here?" Hau asked as the blonde officer began to get a steady connection.

"We're about to become a league anyways- we've already established communications with the other major league nations and this faciity has state-of-the-art technology already. It shouldn't be that difficult," Lien replied before helping Wicke up to her feet.

"Wicke..." Lillie began but the woman shook her head and gave a thumbs up. "I will...be fine," she said determinedly. "Even like this... I can still help."

"Just don't push yourself, okay? Gladion is already down just so he can get some rest!" Hau said, half jokingly.

"I resent this, and I resent you," said blond stated, half serious half exasperated.

"Love you too!"

Lillie let out a slightly hysterical giggle- she knew how hard the green-haired boy was trying to keep his spirits up, from the glint in his eyes and how he forced his smile to stay even when it trembled. She had a hard time keeping her composure after what she learned as well and her insides burned with worry for Asalie and anger towards Astrid.

 _How could she do that to her own children?_ she kept wondering, fists tightening almost to the point of her nails breaking the skin.

Mohn still looked so lost, eyes flickering between Wicke's retreating form and his two children. What could he say to them? Did he even have the right to say anything at this point?

"Excuse me."

He looked up at Officer Detect as she approached the two teens, along with the still upset Ashwin. "I may be able to help Mr. and Miss Nalani."

Hau and Lillie immediately stood up in surprise and anticipation, Gladion tried to follow but his injuries forced him back down, Grimlsey arched an eyebrow, Ashwin gave a hoarse noise as his hands came away from his tear-blotched face and Mohn straightened, hopeful.

* * *

"I am Sina- a name for a lovely lady!"

"And I'm Dexio- a pleasure to meet you."

The two trainers were seated just outside the room that Astin and Asalie were being kept in, laptops hooked up to a machine with several green wriggling cells inside of it. "Oh, you're still here," Grimsley remarked.

 _"Yes, we're still here!"_ Sina said indignantly. "We're not just going to leave right now!"

"The professor for this region is here as well," Dexio added, eyes averting to the left side of the hallway. "He's just been trying to repair the pokedex and help the Rotom there."

"Kukui's here as well?" Mohn asked before Hau exclaimed, "So, Rotom is okay?!"

"Last I saw it. He's been here for the last few hours," the blond explained before continuing. "We came here on behest of Professor Sycamore in order to bring back our region's Legendary Pokemon, and we contacted him to let him know why we were here, whilst meeting Mr. Grimsley along the way." He gestured to said Elite Four member at this.

Lillie and Hau were surprised at this and the former asked, "How do you expect to do that when the Zygarde cells are-"

"- infused with Mr. and Miss Nalani?" Sina finished the question before adding, "Worry not, we have a plan. We've already contacted a certain scientist to come here and help separate the cells from them. We don't know if it'll work, but it's a feasible plan."

"Can you really help them?" Ashwin asked, almost timidly- half of him didn't want to hope only for it to be dashed into pieces.

"Yes- as you know, I am an interrogator and investigator. My Pokemon use their psychic powers to read minds and recreate scenes in rooms whether in the past of present," Detect said. "It may be possible for me to use their power to try and pull them back so that they can wake up and still retain their human form and consciousness."

"So, it's possible it could work- it could bring Asa back?" Hau asked, wincing at her terminology- Asa was Asa, being part Zygarde didn't factor into their friendship whatsoever.

Detect frowned softly at this. "The question isn't if it'll work- it's if it's even possible."

She looked at the two siblings, first at Astin's prone form. "He's been in Zygarde form for months now and it took two ice beams to put him in this condition," before looking at Asalie, "and her mental state isn't doing much better, along with the Zygarde cells reacting in her so strongly."

"It also has to do with the forms they take," Sina pointed to the screen, first at the snake-like form Astin had taken. "Zygarde 50% is the most stable, so he was able to keep some of his mental capacity as a human when he reverted to this form."

Dexio moved the screen to show a more canine form. "Zygarde 10% however is much more unstable and can only be used for a short period of time," nodding to Asalie. "This is shown when she fell asleep and the form dissipated."

He placed a hand on the container while looking towards the two siblings. "Now between the two of them, they have 60% of Zygarde's core cells and we have the remaining 40%."

"Not to mention that the cells in them have laid dormant for so long, their flare-up is more pronounced," Sina pointed out.

"Duly noted."

"Officer Detect, thank you so much for this," Lillie said.

Detect forced her expression not to change- she couldn't truly say why she was doing this. But having a legendary Pokemon on their side, even if it was part human, would be a great advantage against the Ultra Beasts. It also helped that both had a history of being trainers and would also help in taking down the Ultra Beasts, as attested to the teens information on Asalie's team even when under a beginner.

"All right, I'll begin," the officer announced. "Stay back."

They quickly moved backwards away so that she would have room to bring out the Xatu and Gothitelle. Detect closed her eyes and placed her hand on Vivian's shoulder while said psychic type hovered her own hand over Asalie, glowing with power. As the blue glow extended over her head, Asalie's eyes flew open. A short gasp came from her before her body seized up and started to change, a shriek in her mouth.

"Star!" Ashwin exclaimed.

The brunette flinched at his voice as her hand began to turn into a paw- the Gothitelle's power glowed brighter and the paw began to twitch and revert back to a hand and then back again. She growled in pain, writhing against the restraints and bed as her body tried to turn back into Zygarde. She gasped harshly, eyes squeezed tightly as her head shook itself.

Ashwin couldn't take this, he was running inside despite Detect's protest and grabbed Asalie's hand/paw. The canine jaws snapped at his head, fangs millimeters from his nose as the brunet recoiled. The Gothitelle's eyes glowed brighter with psychic power as it covered Asalie, making her writhe further before becoming limp. Detect gasped as her eyes flew open and stumbled backwards before Mohn caught her and Grimsley pulled Ashwin away.

"This happened at the islands too," the stout blond said softly. "Every time she was conscious, she would always transform into Zygarde. The only time she looked human was when she was asleep, or unconscious."

"It's no good- the Zygarde cells forced her to wake up when I tried to probe her mind," Detect rasped as she steadied herself. "When she was awake, it took everything I had just to keep myself and Vivian from suffering any more backlash."

"The transformation itself may be a defense mechanism to the trauma that had happened to her," Grimsley mused, turning to Lillie. "She went with your friends to find you at Aether, didn't she?"

When she nodded, the dark-type trainer went on, "What she found there must have shocked her- shocked her enough to turn back into this. But at the same time, it's also the form she was in when..."

"When she killed her mother," Lillie finished, making Ashwin turn away with his fists balled tightly.

"Well..."

They turned to Hau as he spoke up. "Maybe it's because she doesn't know Officer Detect? I mean, I'd be pretty scared if someone I didn't know was trying to get inside my head."

"... you made a good point, Hau," Detect conceded before adding, "However, ferrying someone into another's mind is something that is far more risky as well as something I have always had difficulty in doing."

"But we an still try, can't we?!"

"And risk possibly leaving you a vegetable. Not a chance I'm willing to take."

"But we are," Lillie declared. "Please officer, if this can help her-!"

"I can do whatever you need me to do- just save my children," Ashwin said, eyes imploring.

Detect frowned but conceded. "All right, let's try again. Ashwin, put your hands on hers- it works best with physical contact, and you stand the best chance of getting through to your daughter. Everyone else, I'd prefer having more space. Wait outside the room."

"Okay..."

The group moved outside by Dexio and Sina, both who were quickly starting to take notes on the scene. Ashwin took his daughter's hand into his own- the skin felt cold beneath his digits but he could still feel a pulse. Vivian straightened up and Merlin retook his stance as their eyes glowed with power. Detect set her own hands on the two teens, eyes glowing with power-

* * *

 _"Whoa!"_

 _Ashwin's voice echoed across the gray space they had appeared in. There was a mist all around them and they floated about, there was no floor or ceiling visible. He looked down at his hands- they felt tangible, but she could see right through them._

 _"This is her mind..." he thought before startling- his thought was as audible as if he had spoken them._

"Be careful," _Detect's voice came above them._ "If things get bad, I'll pull you out."

 _"I understand."_

 _The brunet floated across the gray landscape, looking for his daughter- it was a strange feeling, as though time were both moving too fast and not fast enough. Eventually, he felt weighed down and his feet touched the ground. The mist around him was clearing up and the gray was fading into new colors, predominantly green and black and the space seemed to warp like a tunnel or cave around them._

 _ **"GROOOOOAAAAAW!"** a roar smashed the silence, shaking the entire landscape with it's force._

 _The source was a colossal dog curled in the back. It was jet black with sharp claws and canine teeth sticking between it's gums, with pale red ribbons tying it to the ground. It's eyes lacked an iris and the sclera was lime green. "Is that Zygarde?" Ashwin wondered, shivering at the creature's appearance._

 _No sooner had he uttered this, the air around them began to squeeze at him as though trying to crush him and tear him apart at the same time. The dog howled even louder and thrashed harder as it tried to lash at him._ "Asalie is beginning to awaken again!" _Detect called out._ "I'm taking you out-"

 _"No, please!" Ashwin pleaded. "Just wait a moment!"_

"If this keeps up, it could damage your mind!"

 _"I know that!" he shouted back, even as he was pressed down further. "But I'm not leaving my daughter, not when she's like this!"_

 _Even with him forced onto the ground, Ashwin forced himself to crawl towards the dog- no, Zygarde. They were startled that he was still coming forward and thrashed harder. It kept howling and the air pressed down harder, but Ashwin kept going. "I know you're trying to protect her!" he called to them, making Zygarde freeze._

 _"I know that feeling better than anyone," he continued. "Wanting to protect her, to have what's best for her, and to help her whenever she's in trouble."_

 _Zygarde growled lowly at this and their thrashing became harder, but their snarls and roars less frequent._

 _"But just forcing out what's painful and keeping others out isn't going to help or change anything- it's only going to make it harder for her to come back!"_

 _Zygarde's growls were in their throat, reverberating._

 _"I understand this, I really do. It's painful, frightening." Ashwin's hands balled into fists as he forced himself onto his knees just below Zygarde. "But you can't change or fix anything by running away or hiding!"_

 _Zygarde panted as drool escaped it's lips, starting to close around it's fangs._

 _"Please, let me see her. Let me help her," Ashwin pleaded. "Let me bring her to the ones who love her and want to help her."_

 _Zygarde looked down on him, eyes narrowed. The red ribbons still held them back, but he knew that those claws and fangs would do a great deal of damage. They leaned down over Ashwin, their hot breath wafting over him as they sniffed. Then, the oppressive air lifted over him and he could get back onto his feet as Zygarde nodded to him, head moving to look behind them._

 _Asalie lay on the floor in the back, curled into a ball with her eyes squeezed shut and hands over her ears. Her hair was tousled and messy, her shirt ripped to show her midriff and the pants were cut off around mid-thigh. Ashwin raced to her side and knelt down to place a hand on her shoulder. The brunette stiffened at the touch and looked up at him. Her eyes lacked any pupils in them, any light- they were as dull as stone. She said nothing, head cocked to the side with a look of confusion and nonrecognition on her face._

 _Then, the back of the cave opened up and showed a blinding light. Asalie shied from the light, shaking her head as her eyes closed her eyes and her hands came back to cover her ears. However, Zygarde gently nuzzled her face with their snout to stop her. She flinched at the contact, panic and confusion evident before Zygarde gestured to her dad._

 _"You've got people waiting just for you, star," Ashwin murmured, hugging her close. "All waiting to help you."_

 _She blinked at the use of her nickname, something flickering on her face. She reached out hesitantly and took Ashwin's hand, allowing him to pull her up and lean against him. With that, the two began to walk into the light._

* * *

 _Wait, I'm heading into the light? Doesn't that mean I'm-?_

Asalie gasped as her eyes flew open, wincing at the sudden exposure of white light as her eyes burned and her head spun. She heard someone- a woman- gasp before she tried to sit up up. Much to her confusion and budding fear, she found that her arms, legs and neck were all strapped down and she couldn't move. Luckily, she felt someone undoing the straps before helping her sit up.

As her eyes cleared, she could see her dad looking at her with red-puffy eyes and barely restrained tears. "Dad?" she croaked- her throat felt like sandpaper and was just as parched.

He didn't answer, just pulled her into a tight hug. "Star-!" he gasped with relief, arms like a vice around her.

She was deeply confused, thirsty and her head was still spinning, but the brunette hugged her father back. It had been a while since she had last seen him-

* * *

Asalie."

 _The brunette froze at her father's voice, low and stern with an undercurrent of power- Zygarde almost seemed to wilt at the man's voice as well. Ashwin's expression was focused and stern and Asalie felt her insides grow cold at the faint glow of blue inside his mouth._

No, no, no!

 _"Surrender- I don't want to fight my family," Ashwin told her without preamble._

 _Asalie's hands shook harshly- how could she fight her father, or disobey him?_

* * *

 _Asalie was already running over to her dad's side to pull him away from the hole- he was unconscious, blood slowly leaking from his head and she felt sick with terror._

 _"Please don't die, please don't die..." the brunette begged as she wrapped her father's head, Ashwin deaf to the world._

* * *

"Dad, Aether paid off Team Skull!" she cried out, withdrawing from him as the memories of what had happened came back to her.

Hau being kidnapped, storming Po Town, Lillie being kidnapped, teaming up with Gladion, storming Aether and running into a brainwashed Daniel, injured Moira and her coerced father, the dark secrets Aether had, Faba,Guzma, _Lusamine-_

Hot anger and upset coursed through her at remembering the blonde, specifically as she disappeared in the wormhole with a mocking smile and wave. _She tricked me!_ she thought furiously. _Probably tried to get in close to get info from me or get me away from Lillie!_

Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched at her head as it continued to spin. _Of course she did- that's the only reason she paid attention to me. How could I have compared her to mom?_

"ASA!"

Her thought was cut off at the sound of Hau's voice and a door slamming open before she was pulled into a sloppy but enthusiastic Hau, the green-haired boy openly crying as he embraced her. "YOU'RE OKA-A-A-A-Y!" he cried, tears and mucus running down his face as he continued to hold her tightly.

She was already smiling before she knew it and hugged her friend back. "Good to see you too, Hau," she said weakly before pushing him off so she could get her breath back.

She could hear others outside the door and looking out and she turned to see them- she recognized Grimsley, who gave her a sloppy wave, and saw an unfamiliar young man with blond hair and blue eyes and dark-skinned girl with black hair and gray eyes at a computer with a container of green things. But her eyes widened upon seeing Lillie by a stout blond.

At another point in time, she would have marveled at how the blonde looked. But more of her was stunned at how different Lillie looked and not just because of the clothes and hair- something had changed a great deal about the blonde, how she held herself and the look in her eyes.

But then she remembered their last interactions- the awkwardness of the morning, the disastrous trip into the Haina Desert, her screaming at the blonde, barely stopping for a few words to get to Lusamine- and finding out the truth.

Asalie's gaze dropped away from Lillie, her stomach becoming coiled and she wished that there weren't so many people here to see her shame. _She couldn't explain because I was already trusting the woman she was trying to hide from- and I yelled at her for that, and wouldn't even listen when she tried to tell me._

Her head dropped lower, expression a grimace as she felt anger coil in her stomach alongside the disgust. _I know this, but I'm still angry at her- what's wrong with me?_

That's when she noticed the other bed by her- holding an unconscious Astin, strapped down like she used to be, his limbs, face and chest covered in bandages and green and black scales. A cold dread spread through her and the warmth of relief seemed to drain right out of the room as she looked at her arms and hands- they held the same black and green scales.

Then, her head exploded in pain and she let out a snarl of discomfort as she clutched at her cranium, bended over as her elbows resting against her knees.

* * *

 **Head- buzzing-**

 **-static-**

 **\- fuzzy-**

* * *

 **Cold-**

 **\- it's cold-**

 **\- but it's hot too-**

* * *

 **It burns-**

 **\- it freezes-**

 **-twisting-turning-**

* * *

 **Pain-**

 **\- everything hurts-**

 **\- li** ** _ar-_**

 _ **-betrayer-**_

 _ **-enemy-**_

* * *

 _ **KILL**_

* * *

Abruptly, Asalie froze. There was no movement in her, not even her eyes- which had gained the same hollow look Ashwin had seen inside her mindscape. "Star?" he asked urgently, gripping her shoulders. "Stay, stay with us."

"... that bitch."

Her voice was low and the anger cutting but her gaze and expression remain hollow as she pulled away from Ashwin. "She did this," she continued, looking down at her hands and arms- both that still held the green and black scales. "She did this to me, to Astin. This is all her fault."

"Star-"

His reply was cut off when she grabbed the front of his shirt and actually lifted the man off the ground, animalistic rage contorting her face. "YOU BASTARD!" she screamed at him. "YOU LET HER DO THIS TO US!"

"Asalie, enough!" Detect barked, sending Vivian and Merlin to use their psychic power to pry her grasp off of Ashwin's shirt.

However, Asalie easily broke through the psychic hold, the backlash slamming the two psychic types backwards and almost out cold. The sclera of her eyes were turning lime green and the scales on her arms seemed to spread further- even her teeth were becoming more canine-like as her lips drew back in a snarl.

"Asa, what're you doing?!" Hau cried out, trying to reach towards her.

She slapped his hand away on impulse, expression half furious, half afraid. She looked at the others, where Grimsley was already pulling out the rest of his team and the stout blond was standing between her and Lillie protectively. Even Ashwin looked at her with fear and upset while Detect was determined and cold. She seemed to shrink at the eyes on her before she all too suddenly shifted into the 10% Zygarde form and raced out of the room before they could stop her.

* * *

When Asalie returned to consciousness, she was on top of Aether Paradise's roof looking down at the sea. Her body burned and the green and black spread further down her body. She fell to her hand and knees in exhaustion but she struggled to keep moving.

 _Turn back, turn back please!_ she begged her body, but it wouldn't return to the form it held before.

She knew what she was, why she could barely remember the last two days.

 _My mother turned me into a_ monster, she thought in despair. That's _why I've been enjoying the heat of battle- I'm literally part Pokemon, part Ultra Beast!_

She curled into a ball, tears starting to well in her eyes and her stomach turning itself into knots. _We killed her- me and Astin ripped her to pieces- but she deserved it! She turned us into monsters! Oh Arceus, what am I thinking?!_

Then, she heard the flutter of wings and looked up. Pellimore had landed upon the roof, a belt of five poke-balls in her beak that she laid on the ground and pressed each button on the capsules. Asalie's eyes widened at seeing Bishop no longer a Magneton, but a UFO-shaped Magnezone.

"I missed your evolution?" she said, half disappointed half in wonder as her hand glossed over their hull.

Then, she was pulled into a tight hug by Ruby and the Midnight Lycanroc wasted no time in licking every inch of her face, much like how she used to as a Rockruff. Asalie gave a startled shriek of laughter at this before Kumonga nuzzled her side from above with a rumble of affection. Ifrit then ruffled her hair with her clawed hand with an honest smile rather than a smirk and Titus leaped behind her to cuddle next to her.

She kept laughing as she embraced her team before that laughter dissolved into tears, then sobs- relieved, anguished, terrified, confused, echoed across the floating island and sea.

* * *

So after weeks of sickness and repairs for my computer, I have returned! Originally this chapter was going to go in a different direction, but then the logic of my inner editor brought it here. A shorter chapter, but a sign for things to come. The end is nigh.

And...

WHO'S HYPED I'M HYPED

NEW ULTRA BEASTS, ULTRA SPACE EXPLORED, ULTRA RECON TEAM, NECREZOMA LORE, I AM SO HYPED

Abridegd Cell voice: Wha-? How-? Why?! I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIOOONS!

On that note, would you guys like me to do a rewrite of this story when USUM comes out? Or would you rather I do a different story altogether? Perhaps an AU of SAU?

And for those complaining about the snail's pace going on, keep in mind that the last nine chapters have taken place of the course of twelve hours. I will be setting a deadline for myself to finish on November 26th, one year since I started this story.


	44. Chapter 44

TheHolyBlade: I'll take that into consideration.

Guest: Really? Huh.

Gigarot: Okay, that's a good point.

Pacific Rim-like? I take that as a compliment.

Yes indeed- they had no idea what the hell they were looking at, or why she was looking like that in the first place.

LilMate: Again taken into consideration.

Iron-Ninja: Indeed.

HYYYYYPEEEE

I've considered doing that as well.

Guest: Thanks- it's edited now.

I originally had Lillie and Hau enter together, but Ashwin seemed a more logical choice since he was the closest to her awake.

 **Author's note: To the guest who reviewed last chapter, you are the two-hundredth reviewer. Every hundred reviews, I write the one who posted it a one shot of their choosing. Please respond.**

* * *

 _She screamed with rage at the sight of her brother laying before her and Lusamine sneering smirk as she waved goodbye before the Ultra Womrhole- she could not accept this. She would not._

 _Asalie raced to the two, exhaustion and injury forgotten. She could feel her body start to change when she leaped at the two, only Guzma leaping in front of Lusamine keeping her from the blonde._

 _Then, all light faded and the air became stifled and cold. But she didn't care- in fact, she was grinning again just like when she faced against the Totem Pokemon and against the Nihilego. She was laughing, laughing at Guzma's horrified expression and how he screamed in pain as her fangs dug into his shoulder and tossed him aside._

 _But seeing Lusamine not there- in fact, she had moved towards a floating Nihilego and had completely ignored her, made Asalie's blood boil. She growled and leaped at her, only to be smacked aside by Goodra's dragon pulse. But rage made her ignore the pain and her fangs ripped apart Goodra's neck, nearly severing the head entirely before leaping onto the blonde and knocking her to the ground._

 _Even in this position and blood from her own Pokemon dripping onto her face and collar, Lusamine's eyes were dismissive and cold as she regarded her. "Such a waste- I truly thought that you would become a true Ultra Beast, or at least more than this," she lamented. "But you've become nothing more than a crude monster."_

 _Asalie was then knocked aside by a moonblast from Clefable, slamming into- a wall? as Lusamine got back on her feet and turned her back on her. "Begone. I have no wish to look upon you."_

Well now.

 _She howled with rage as she began to bound towards Lusamine, only for light to suddenly erupt from beneath her and she fell..._

* * *

When Asalie opened her eyes again, she shivered a bit before yawning and opening her eyes. The sun was starting to rise over the sea, casting a gorgeous illumination over the water turning it orange red. Pell, Bishop, Ruby, Kumonga, Ifrit and Titus were all sleeping around her protectively in a large pile- still on the rooftop.

The brunette stared out into the horizon, the sun not yet harsh enough to blind her as she beheld the sight before her.

 _I'm part Pokemon, part Ultra Beast. And me and my brother killed the woman who made us like that._

Her hand came to rest on her other arm, where the warmth of flesh ended and the smooth green and black scales began. The horror and disgust at her situation and herself hadn't vanished- just remembering brought them back, the only mercy that they were just a little less potent. Her hands came to rest against her face, breathing becoming a little more frantic along with a low groan.

What could she say to this, what could she even think towards what she had learned- or rather, remembered? Memories of her mom raced through her head, but they were tainted by the images of the same woman coldly grafting bits and pieces of Ultra Beast corpse onto her body with the intent of turning her into a _weapon_. No, she felt sick even thinking of that woman as her mother.

Her stomach turned with intense nausea and she broke free of the circle, rushing to the edge of the roof. Nothing came out, but the nausea wouldn't leave as her stomach tried to eject an empty stomach. She felt the feathers of Pell's wing on her back but didn't lean into the touch, the nausea was too strong to subside. She didn't know how long she stayed like that, but the time she was done her skin was cold and clammy and the orange-red of the sun had vanished as the sun came up higher.

Asalie slumped backwards against the Decidueye, who steadied her gently and pulled her back from the edge. Bishop, Ruby, Kumonga, Ifrit and Titus were all up now and looking to her with concern and anticipation. It had only been a little more than a day since they had been together, but so much had happened to them all- it felt like a lifetime.

"So, I guess you want to know what happened to me?" she guessed by their expressions before sitting down cross-legged before them.

Her time being in the other form was hazy but discernible at best. "I... tried to go after Lusamine and Guzma- but I fell back out of Ultra Space," she began. "I fell on an island and there was..."

The image of a stout blond flickered before her eyes- he had given her a place to stay despite her tearing up much of the island that he had made his home. "... someone who housed me during that. Then, we came back here."

Ifrit looked disappointed at the sparse details but gave a small grin at the brunette regardless. Ruby and Titus both eyed her disapprovingly though and she knew that theirs was not misplaced. Her stomach curdled at what she was going to say next, but she knew her team- they had to know.

"There's... something else I remembered. When I was younger, I got injured here- me and Astin. My mom... grafted Pokemon and Ultra Beast bits onto us in order to make us... weapons."

Her mouth tasted like copper as she continued. "We... me and Astin... _killed her."_

Her head bowed forward, she couldn't meet any of their eyes- just saying that aloud made it sound so much more final. This had happened, she had her mother's blood on her hands. Tears began to pool in her eyes, her jaw trembling as she struggled to keep talking. "I just r-remembered last night- I was so angry, I tried to hurt my dad- but I remember him helping me wake up- but he didn't stop her- no one did- it hurt so much, it was so scary- I'm angry at all of them- even Hau, he didn't do anything- and I know why Lillie- _but I'm still so angry-"_

She buried her face into her hands, she didn't want them to see her like this. "I'm really, _really sorry_ \- I ran ahead without even thinking of you guys, or what you've gone through- I even missed you evolving-"

That last sentence alone made her finally break down again, even as she tried to muffle her sobs. But barely a second later, she felt Ruby's thin arms close around her in a tight hug and then felt Ifrit's searing heat as she joined in, albeit a bit further as so not to burn her. Bishop hovered above them and placed one of their magnets on her head, rubbing back and forth against her hair.

Kumonga joined in a moment later and towered above them protectively, a low but soothing rumbling in his throat. Titus nuzzled against her legs, his trills softer and more solemn than his normal cheer. Pell just watched all of this from where she stood, eyes locked onto Asalie's face and then her eyes as she moved her head upwards to look at the grass owl.

There was no change in her expression- it was the same one Pell gave her when she expected Asalie to come up with a plan, or where they would go next, or if they would start a battle. Even with everything that had happened, she still looked to her to decide. But with everything that had happened, Asalie had no idea what to do- the thought of battle made her stomach churn, doing nothing made her feel worse, she didn't want to see anyone else but she couldn't stay on the rooftops forever.

The last thought made her shiver again, even with the sun coming up higher. _Wait, has no one really thought to come get me off the roof?_ she wondered, looking downwards. _Or did they just want to give me space after last night?_

She wiped her eyes free of the tears, irritating the skin the process as she slowly straightened up. First order of business: get off the roof. Asalie instinctively reached for her bag before remembering she had nothing on her and then turned to Pell. "Think you can fly me back down?"

The grass owl smiled at this and nodded. Asalie turned back to the others once she had gathered their poke-balls ans returned them to the capsules. She couldn't hook them to her belt, all she was wearing was a hospital gown, but she could hold onto them between her chest and Pell's back as the Decidueye took off. The last time she had flown on her back, it had been up and over Guzma and more of a leap than actual flight.

Her stomach lurched as they flew down through the air- this was nothing like riding Iokua, Pell was much smaller and she wasn't used to flying with this much weight, especially after she lost her flying type affinity. But they touched down to the ground without incident, albeit Asalie nearly dropping Titus and Ruby's nest and heal balls before Pell's talons came up to catch them.

She and Pell walked into the Aether building, momentarily shivering at the sight of the living quarters albeit covered in police tape.

"Asalie Nalani?"

A blonde officer with her hair in a pixie cut approached her from behind, along with two other officers with black hair tied in a downwards and upwards ponytails- upon seeing her, the two officers quickly pulled out their poke-balls containing a Stoutland and Arcanine while pulling out their batons. Pell's eyes narrowed and quickly got between them but the blonde officer held her hands up to show she wasn't armed. "It's okay- I'm Officer Lien, I came to check up on you," before turning to the two officers with a measured look. "Compass, Storm, at ease."

Compass and Storm looked at her with unease but obeyed, the two canine Pokemon standing down though their trainers kept their batons right at their side. Asalie frowned worriedly at this while Pell watched them with narrowed eyes.

"Your father and the president were adamant you be given space to cool down," Officer Lien explained. "And we found you with your team asleep- I was called in for my shift, and now here you are."

Her chest tightened at the thought of their last confrontation and Asalie asked, "Can I get my stuff- my clothes and bag?"

"I'm sorry, but both are currently being held as evidence."

Asalie winced at this, wondering how badly damaged her things were and if they would ever be given back before she remembered. "There was a poke-dex in here with a Rotom inside of it! Are they-?!"

"Professor Kukui is here- he's been trying to fix it ever since he arrived," the blonde officer told her. "The Rotom inside is safe."

She sighed with relief at this before full processing the statement. "Kukui's here?"

"Yes. He came when he heard that Professor Sycamore's aids had arrived with Grimsley-"

"Wait, he's here too? And why are people from Kalos here now?"

Officer Lien blinked at this before rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Right- you weren't awake until last night..."

Asalie stared with _incredulity-_ just what in the hell happened while she was out? But Lien stopped the brunette before she could ask further. "I must ask that you hand over your poke-balls- they will be given back to you," she added the last part at the panic in Asalie's eyes and Pell beginning to hiss through her beak.

"But- I just got them back..."

"Please understand, it's just a exercise of caution. You will be given them back, you have my word."

Asalie grimaced at this and gave an apologetic glance to Pell before returning her starter to the poke-ball and Storm and Compass took three each of her team before they kept going. "Can you let me see Kukui at least?"

"Officer Lien," Storm began to protest but Officer Lien replied, "I will be informing the others that you're awake now, so you'll get your chance. In the meantime..."

* * *

"Meantime" meant being brought to the employees' living quarters and given a chance to shower while Lien went to get spare clothes and Storm and Compass stood guard. Now that she was alone again and in a bathroom, Asalie was more aware of how damp and wrinkled the hospital gown and underwear she was wearing.

 _Well, I did sleep on a rooftop with six other Pokemon,_ she thought as she stripped both articles down before her eyes flickered to the mirror over the sink and she froze.

She had only looked at her arms after last night and this morning and had seen and felt the green and black scales- but now, she could see that the scales went up to her shoulders, around her chest, spiraled down her back and neck, collected around her head beneath her hair and spread down her belly and thighs. Even her face had them, inching from her jaw line, around the edges of her cheeks and spreading from either side across towards her eyes.

Her hands shivered as she touched the black and green scales, feeling smooth and dry beneath and remembered the two officer's cold and wary gazes. Even her eyes had changed- before they were a dark gray, but now they were almost jet black, even her pupils seemed much dimmer.

Eventually, she tore herself away from the mirror and stepped beneath the showerhead. The water became almost boiling hot yet her skin barely reacted, like it was was lukewarm. She eventually turned off the cold completely and let the scalding hot water wash over her before grabbing a washcloth and body wash. The clammy feeling on her skin was washed away and the scales gleamed coolly against the steam.

On impulse, her nails came to dig on a seam of skin where her own ended and the black and green scales began- it was as though the scales were always there. The nails began to dig harder into the skin but the scales kept them from actually breaking it and she winced as she felt part of the nails on her index and thumb finger break open.

The pain snapped her back to her senses and Asalie recoiled out of the scalding hot water when she heard someone knock on the door. She turned off the shower and called, "Yes?"

"I've got some clothes for you- they're all I could find in your size," Lien answered.

She quickly grabbed a towel and pulled it around her before opening the door a bit and accepting the bundle. Through the crack, she saw cold dark brown and pale blue eyes flickering down to her beside Lien. Storm and Compass both stood like trees above the blonde officer, eyes alert and wary. Asalie repressed a shiver at this and quickly closed the door, her back landing against it with a quick exhale.

The hostility of the two was startling and Asalie's hands came to grip the opposite arm from where she leaned against the screen- was this how everyone who knew about her was going to treat her? The thought was not a pleasant one and she desperately wished she had someone with her, anyone so she didn't have to be scrutinized by the two officers. She forced back the tears and examined what Lien had brought for her: a black short-sleeved dress with attachable shorts and lace-up tennis shoes the same color.

Asalie had an inkling of what had happened to her clothes the last time she had been at Aether, but that knowledge was neither here nor there as she tried to find something to wear. The clothing she had worn to Aether had been all but destroyed when she turned into Zygarde, along with the boots that Lusamine had given her- the only reason she'd find herself down was because the boots themselves were well-crafted and high quality, even if the person that had given them to her hadn't been playing her from the start, while the clothes she had worn were reduces to tatters barely holding up.

 _At least I don't have to wear what she bought me,_ she consoled herself, shuddering as she dried herself off properly and put on the clothes.

She still didn't like dresses or skirts- Lusamine made her even more wary of both- but the dress was clearly designed to suit a trainer's needs, in fashion and functionality. She still felt lopsided without her bag there and she winced as she examined her hair, the strands now reaching just below the nape of her neck, split and uneven.

 _How long is gonna take to grow it out again?_ she wondered with a sigh before she froze at her reflection.

Her left wrist was bare.

Asalie's right hand came to clutch around where the Z-Ring used to be, a shuddering exhale coming out as she slumped against the door and collapsed onto the floor a moment later. A bark of hysterical laughter that sounded more akin to a sob came up in her throat and she curled in on herself. Of course she lost the item that was given to her by what was on most accounts a legendary Pokemon.

"Are you all right in there?" Lien asked through the door.

The brunette grimaced at this- she did and didn't want to see the others, especially after the previous night. But at least finding what the hell transpired while she was away would distract her enough. "I-I'll be out in a sec!" she called out and got to her feet, smoothing the skirt out before coming back out.

Storm and Compass were standing at attention with Officer Lien. As they made their way, the brunette felt closed off from how the officers had walked around her as though they were herding her. The thought itself made her deeply uncomfortable.

They came inside the infirmary where Asalie spotted Gladion sitting up and with some relief on his face, Wicke on another bed looking exhausted but triumphant, a blond young man with a dark-haired and skinned young woman and Kukui, resting against the wall.

"Professor-"

No sooner had she spoken, he shot to her and pulled her into a tight hug despite Storm and Compass's protest. The breath was driven out of Asalie's lungs at the gesture but she felt his arms shiver around her and let him finish before he put her down. It seemed that the normally cool and carefree man she knew had aged over night, lines of worry across his face and dark circles around his eyes with a bit of stubble around his jawline.

He looked ready to say something, but he closed his mouth as though he wasn't sure of what to say. This alone was enough to make the brunette concerned. "Is Rotom-?"

Kukui looked almost like a Stantler in the headlights before some of his calm cheer came back as he brought out a poke-ball and released the Plasma Pokemon. **"ZZLLIEEEE!"** they cried out and shot around her happily, nuzzling her face while letting off sparks that she barely felt. **"ZLIE ZLIE ZLIEEE!"**

"Hey," she murmured back hands coming up to cup around the electric/ghost type before she saw they were crying. "I'm happy you're okay too. And the poke-dex?"

"The pokedex is still in bad shape," Kukui answered, his voice was hoarse and rather subdued.

"How bad?"

One look at the shattered device hastily glued together so the mainframe could still function somewhat was all that needed to be shown. Asalie cringed at the sight and was about to apologize when she remembered. "That wasn't my fault- _Lusamine_ chucked my bag off after stun-sporing me."

Kukui winced at this and nodded in agreement. "I was able to salvage most of the data on it, but it's gonna take a while to make a new one."

"Well, that's good news."

She heard more footsteps behind them and saw the brunette officer from the previous night along with Lillie, Hau, her dad and the stout blond now wearing a lab-coat like tunic and slacks- albeit uncomfortably, from how he fidgeted in them.

"Hey star," Ashwin said with a tired smile.

Asalie flinched at being addressed, she couldn't even look him in the eye. She gave a tiny node in acknowledgement, fist tightening and her nails creaking against the scales on her palms. Her stomach was roiling dangerously and she felt the nigh uncontrollable urge to run away as she had the previous night- but without her team or information, she would be alone in her thoughts and that prospect was even more terrifying and kept her rooted.

"Sorry," she mumbled timidly before adding lamely, "about last night."

She was scooped up into another hug but she accepted this one more readily. "You were right," Ashwin rasped, trying to hold back tears. "You were absolutely right. I'm so sorry, star."

The brunette swallowed back her own sob, knowing that if she started crying she wouldn't stop at this point. "How's Astin?"

"He's still being treated, but he's doing better than he was before."

Asalie sighed with relief- there was some good happening after all. As Ashwin let her go, her eyes flickered back to Hau and Lillie, the former fidgeting in place while the latter only looked on. The brunette forced herself to walk over to them until she arrived in front of the other two teens- and pulled them into a tight embrace. Hau returned it just as tightly and Lillie held her so comfortingly, Asalie kept down the sob but couldn't stop the tears from sliding down her face.

"I- I wanna say sorry- but I can't- I just can't-" she got out, holding the two to her even tighter. "I just- I'm still-"

"We know," Lillie said, placing a gentle hand on her hair and smoothing it out. "It's okay."

"It really is," Hau assured her.

"But- I fucked up- I left you- I was such an- but I still- and I even lost-"

Hau placed his hands around her left. "Asa, we're not mad with you- we know, and it's okay now."

Asalie broke off the sob, rubbing furiously at her eyes to try and stop the tears. They didn't hate her- they were okay with her, even now. Her dad was still here, her brother was okay, she had her team even if they weren't by her side. Things still weren't okay, her mind and heart were still un turmoil, but this was still a welcome step-up.

"Okay... can you guys please tell me what's going on now?"

* * *

More of a set-up chapter, but Asalie is back!

On a more somber note, my grandfather is on his last legs. He's been flipping back and forth in his health for a while now, but now...


	45. Chapter 45

Gigarot: Actually, that's not what I have in store for Asalie at all.

Iron-ninja: Hmm...

* * *

One explanation later, Asalie had sat down with a soft _thump_ on one of the mattresses.

The blonde officer hadn't been kidding when she said Asalie had missed a lot- and the fact that the Pokemon that _that woman_ had grafted onto her and Astin had been a _fucking legendary Pokemon_ responsible for keeping the _fucking Legendary Pokemon of Life and Death_ in check didn't even fit on the tip of the metaphorical iceberg.

"So... new wormholes are opening up all over Alola because the Cosmog in Ultra Space are agitated, police and every other available trainer are trying to protect the islands- including Hapu, who's a kahuna now, and _fucking Red and Blue_ \- Nebby evolved and is basically comatose, and you've got a plan to summon a legendary Pokemon to close the Ultra Wormholes," she reiterated. "Is that the gist of all this?"

"That's correct," Detect affirmed.

Asalie looks at the stout blond. "And you- you're Mohn Paradisi. The one who looked after me when I fell out of Ultra Space."

But her expression darkened as she growled, "You and your damn research is the cause of all this. If you hadn't made those wormholes, none of this would have happened!"

Mohn looked down resigned before Lillie drew herself up to her full height, expression angry. _"Asalie,"_ she ground out, stern. "I know you are upset, but this is neither the time or place for pointing fingers."

Asalie was taken back by this fire and remembered that he was indeed the blonde's parent. Gladion scowled and looked away during this.

"You've mentioned before that you were sent to retrieve Zygarde," Ashwin put in, steering the conversation to another direction. "What will happen to my children?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Sina chirped.

"We've called in a specialist from Kanto to come and try to remove the Zygarde from you both," Dexio explained. "Right now, it looks like the cells themselves on your bodies are unresponsive to the remaining 40% of the cells."

"Now we're not sure if this will work or not, but we're taking as many safety measures as possible for the moment," Sina added.

"What about the parts of the Ultra Beasts?"

The two Kalosians exchanged glances before Dexio said carefully, "We're not sure. These creatures are unlike anything we've come across before- it'd be dangerous to try."

"I don't care," Asalie said, clutching at her chest- just the thought of pieces of those things in her made her stomach churn. "If you can get these... _things_ out, I'm willing to take the risk!"

"We'll know for sure when he gets here, okay?" Sina told her gently. "And it's not just him, but all his stuff too."

"Not to get us back on topic, but we need to get back on topic," Detect said, standing up. "If this Legendary Pokemon can control the wormholes, we need to get it here as soon as possible. Even if it doesn't, we'll at least have another fighter on our side."

"We've got the Sun Flute from Exeggutor Island." Hau said, "and we found the Altar of the Skye."

"We have the Moon Flute as well," Lien spoke up.

"Really?" Lillie asked in surprise. "How did you get it from Officer Anabel? She was adamant that we not use them."

"She was injured in a battle with the Ultra Beasts before Officer- or rather, Kahuna Nanu, brought her here alone with it before returning to Ula'Ula," the blonde officer explained.

"She was the one who didn't want you to summon the Legendary Pokemon and tried to arrest you, wasn't she?" Asalie asked.

"... yeah, she was." Hau affirmed before perking up, "But maybe she's changed her mind and will help us now!"

Gladion gave a snort of bemusement at that.

"What about the Ultra Beasts you've already captured?" Asalie asked. "What are you going to do with them?"

"Lusamine had an area specifically made for them, most likely to add them to her trophy room." Detect answered, grimacing at this. "However, we've been able to find a place for them temporarily- the archipelago where President Mohn lived."

"It's fairly isolated and there's plenty of space." Mohn put in. "It should be enough for them for now."

"So, you'll put them there then... what if they fight back?"

"That's the thing- when they were captured, each spoke to the Guardian Deity Pokemon of each island and it seems they came to an understanding," Lien replied. "Then they allowed themselves to be captured."

"We only had a small amount of information on the Beasts, but now we've got a chance to study them up close." Mohn said, smiling softly. "I'm glad that my home for the past five years will be of use."

"So, who will go to the Altar of the Skye then?" Hau asked.

"Your page rider has the necessary data to get there, will you be able to direct your ride Dragonite to take another rider?" the blonde officer inquired.

"I can try."

"Then we need a team themselves to head into Ultra Space." Detect said, frown flickering on her face.

"What's the problem?" Lillie windered.

"We've received new intelligence that suggests that Ultra Beasts are drawn to those who have appeared in Ultra Space- Fallers. If those who go inside Ultra Space end up attracting more Ultra Beasts to them, they may either follow them back to earth or attract those still on earth."

"We still have to try." Lillie declared. "If this keeps going, then the beasts will flood Alola and the Guardian Deities won't be able to calm all of them down."

"I know I haven't finished my trials, but I can still fight!" Hau put in.

"Same here," Asalie added while Gladion merely nodded.

"Uh, that's really not a good idea!" Sina put in, crossing her arms in front of her chest in an x.

"We still have to examine you." Dexio said sternly. "We have no idea how the cells will react to Ultra Space. There's a chance you might slip into that form again and not be able to return to normal like before."

"Are you serious right now?!" Asalie exclaimed in furious disbelief. "You care more about these cells than Alola being in trouble!"

 _"That's not true!"_ Sina exclaimed back before taking a breath to calm herself down and continue. "None of us know what you can do with those cells in your body, including you! Studying them will make sure you don't accidentally hurt someone or yourself!"

"And by the time you're done, then Alola could be-"

"Star, please," Ashwin cut in gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "No one's saying anything like that. You've already done enough, the best you can do is to rest."

"But..."

Her father's expression became imploring as he gripped both of her shoulders to look at her in the eye. "Please Asalie. I can't lose you again."

That sentence was another punch in the gut and Asalie averted her eyes down, teeth gritting together tightly in anger and shame. Storm and Compass's expressions betrayed nothing.

"Wicke, how are communications?" Lien asked.

"We... were able to inform the islands of the present situation," Wicke got out, her voice still struggling. "However... the situation remains the same. They are tied up... in protecting their people and island... and fending off the beasts."

"Well, at least they're keyed in." Detect said and turned to Hau. "What about these Guardian Deities? Can't they help?"

"They'd probably be more interested in protecting their islands," the green-haired boy answered. "And with the Ultra Beasts showing up on their islands, they'd be more interested in fighting them there."

"Ask them anyways. We need all the help we can get."

"We could always call in more help from the other regions," Sina put in. "I bet we could squeeze a few more trainers on the ship our guy is heading on."

"All right- we'll see what we can do," the brunette officer nodded.

"What can we do then?" Hau asked.

"You can allow us to take things from here," Lien said gently. "You've all done so much for Alola, more than what should be expected from trainers especially considering your ages. Take this time to heal and rest- you've more than earned it at this point."

"We can't, though!" Hau exclaimed, standing up. "Our homes are in danger- my _ohana_ are in danger! I can't just do nothing!"

"He's right!" Lillie declared in agreement. "We have so few people able to help, but we're able!"

"Lillie, you haven't done nothing," Mohn said softly. "Far from it. You've helped make sure that we have the tools to stop the beasts. You can rest, it's okay."

Lillie looked torn at this, fist clenching at his words. "We'll go see if communications can reach the other league regions." Detect said before nodding to the stout blond. "Mr. President, if you would..."

"Of course." He turned to Wicke after this. "Get some rest. You've had a long night and your injuries need it."

Wicke nodded, eyes blinking blearily.

"And we'd like to check your vital signs as soon as possible, now that you're a little more well-rested," Sina addressed Asalie.

* * *

Asalie's hand twitched a bit from where it rested on the counter. This was feeling more like a trip to the doctor's than anything and she was a little grateful that Dexio Sina was acting as professionally as they were- it made it a little less impersonal, and having her dad with her helped even more as he held her other hand comfortingly. Storm and Compass were still there, but they kept their distance as they watched the proceedings.

So far her blood pressure, hearing and sight, heartbeat and pulse, breathing and actual blood had been tested between the two, as well as some of the scales they were able to chip off, though it shattered the first instrument. They tested the scales with the other cells inside the container and requested permission to chip some off of Astin as well- he still didn't wake as they chipped them off his uninjured arm.

Both times, the cells inside the container tried to rush towards the scales but said scales remained unresponsive. Dexio and Sina shared a worried look before jotting down some notes and Ashwin's hold on her hand became tighter. "Hey, can you get Officer Detect for us?" Sina asked Storm and Compass.

The two dark-haired officers exchanged glances before Storm nodded her consent and Compass quickly left. He returned a few minutes later with the brunette officer, already bringing out the Gothitelle and Xatu. "Ashwin, if you would," she stated.

Asalie nodded to her father and he got up to sit beside her brother. She recalled seeing him before, but it felt more like a dream and most of it had already been forgotten- but he had been there to bring her back, and she would be hard-pressed to forget that. Ashwin took Astin's hand as Detect put her own on his shoulder while the Gothitelle and Xatu's eyes glowed with power.

A few minutes passed before Ashwin withdrew with a gasp and Detect winced as she tried to collect herself. Asalie watched with bated breath that became an exhale of relief when she saw Astin's eyes flutter open.

"Ow..." he rasped, eyes squeezing shut tightly when he tried the move.

She raced to her side and took his other hand, trying to avoid jostling him or the ice-burns on his body. Her brother shuddered as his eyes fluttered open again, exhausted and pained as he took in his surroundings and eventually landing on the brunette.

"Asa...?" he croaked out, hand trying to reach towards her only to be stopped by the restraint. "Wha-?"

"Can't you let him go, just for this?" Ashwin asked Detect, Storm and Compass tensing at this.

The brunette officer nodded to the two dark-haired officers and they brought back out their Arcanine and Stoutland, batons ready. She went to the young man's side and undid the bindings around his hands and feet, allowing him to adjust himself so he curled around the cot. He rasped in pain at the feeling of the mattress chaffing the ice burns beneath the bandages but he still forced himself upright.

He panted for breath as he looked at his father and younger sister, eyes flickering as he tried to remember what had happened before to warrant him in this situation. Then, they widened and he bolted up. "Kekoa! I gotta get back to-"

His exclamation was cut off when he tried to jump down from the cot and his body contorted from the pain and he slumped against the mattress, shuddering. Asalie gripped his hand tightly while Ashwin gingerly laid a hand on his back. Astin gasped for breath, groaning at the agony his body was in and slowly curling into himself to try and manage the pain better.

"Try to take it easy, you're still injured," Detect said as she began to walk to his bedside.

"Wha- how-?" he tried to gasp out only for his words to get cut off by a whimper of pain.

"Astin, it's okay now," Ashwin said, pushing himself closer to his son. "Me and Star are here, you're safe."

"Wh-what time is it...?"

"About ten AM," Asalie said after a quick glance at the clock.

"No, the... the date."

"... Mid October," Ashwin finally said.

The young man shuddered again, hands coming to clutch at his head. Storm and Compass's grip tightened around their batons while the Legendary and Big-hearted dogs growled lowly when Astin forced himself out of bed. He swayed on his feet and his father and sister grabbed either hand to help steady him.

"Gotta call Kekoa," he rasped. "He's gotta be worried sick..."

"Kekoa? What does he have to-?"

"They were having dinner when Astin disappeared," Ashwin explained as he steadied his son. "Kekoa's the one who told me what happened."

Asalie blinked, vaguely remembering being told this the last time she was at Aether- well, the first time rather.

"The hole... just appeared outside from where we were eating..." Astin rasped. "I saw it- and I started getting images in my head. It hurt just looking at them."

The two brunets frowned with sympathy as the young man continued. "They kept coming and everything felt like it was closing in on me- I ran outside but ended up right in front of the hole..."

"And I remembered."

Asalie froze at this, sitting up straighter as Astin rubbed at his head before curling back into himself. "Astin-"

"It wasn't a dream, it was real- all these images... they're all memories-!" he gasped out, eyes wide and unseeing.

"Astin, we're here," Ashwin said firmly, trying to keep hysteria out of his voice. "We're going to help you get through this."

Astin said nothing, shivering harshly and Asalie flinched when she saw the tears streaming down his face. Her stomach lurched and the urge to run became so strong but her legs felt bolted to the floor. When Astin shifted to sob into Ashwin's chest and the tears streamed down the scales, making them gleam in the white light, she tore out of the room with all the speed she could muster. She heard Storm and Compass bark her name and her dad call out to her but she ignored them as she kept running.

She reached the nearest door that was open and slammed it behind her, gasping for breath. Wicke was startled to sit up while Gladion stared in confusion and concern, Silvally curled half on the bed half on the floor. Asalie took a step forward only slump onto her knees, clutching either arm as she tried to calm down.

 _What is wrong with me?! He was there, he was finally with us again after missing for so long!_ she thought, eyes squeezing shut and trying to hold back tears. _I finally had him again, and all I could do was run away! Again!_

"Nalani!" Compass barked as he opened the door, making Wicke wince at the noise as she was trying to wake up. "Oh- apologies," he muttered quickly, while Storm shot him a look.

Gladion remained silent and Asalie was thankful for that- she didn't want someone to ask her what was wrong, not when thinking of that would make her run even faster or make her curl into a ball and never face the world again. She felt a rough wetness against her face and looked up as Silvally licked her face gently, a low rumbling in their throat as they nuzzled her face.

 _"G-grk-!"_ the sob in her throat sputtered out despite her best efforts and Silvally murmured lowly as they continued to hover over her and lick her face.

Eventually, she started to giggle at the ticklish feeling of Silvally's tongue and the brunette smiled weakly as she gently scratching the back of their neck. "Thanks," she got out, sniffling a bit before wiping the bit of mucus left.

 _ **"Grrow,"**_ Silvally murmured.

"... are you going back to your family," Storm said, more than asked.

Asalie wanted to say yes, wanted to get back up and go be with her brother and father- but her legs wouldn't move, her mouth wouldn't form the words. Her fingers dug into the floor as she tried to make herself answer, her throat feeling like it had a stone lodged inside of it. A moment later, she felt someone grip her shoulder and flinched away from the touch.

"Sorry," Gladion murmured as he withdrew his hand.

The brunette blinked in surprise, momentarily distracting her from the panic- her eyes flickered to Gladion's chest where the bandages were visible from beneath the loose shirt and how he didn't have as much trouble breathing from the last time she had seen him. Though considering the last time she saw him was-

"Are you feeling better?" she asked, voice cracking as she forced the memory out of her mind.

"Better than yesterday," Gladion replied, expression not changing from her behavior. "I'm glad you're back."

Asalie felt her chest constrict at this before she nodded, a trembling smile flickering on her lips. That sentence alone made her feel so much better, it was scary. But she didn't know how to reply to this and the two remained silent for about a minute before Gladion said, "I'm not good with small talk."

"Well, that makes two of us," the brunette sighed before she saw Wicke watching them. "Um, you okay there?"

"Ah! Apologies... I've been helping with communications between islands... it lasted well into the night..." Her voice was strained, and her chest heaved with effort when she spoke.

"Right, sorry," Asalie apologized. "I'll let you get back to resting..." She glanced over to the older blonde. "Do you want me to-?" \

"This is fine," he cut her off. "My lungs aren't in danger of being stuck by my ribs anymore."

Silence a little more natural flowed between them and Asalie thought of the last times she had met with the older blond before two days ago, particularly their first meeting. Thinking of that made her remember the daycare hut she had gone to when trying to find Ruby.

"Gladion, that Evee you had with you- did you get it from the daycare in Paniola Town?"

"She followed me," he answered. "She was strong, so I caught her."

"They think someone stole her."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Asalie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just tell them what happened- they were really worried when I saw them last."

"If we get through this."

"... fair enough," she conceded with a sigh.

The last times she had talked with him had been at the Battle Royal, the motel he was staying at and- Actually, now that she thought of it-

"I think this is the first civil conversation we've since... since two days ago," Asalie realized.

"The region and possibly the world being in danger can do that for you," Gladion deadpanned.

"... that says too much about us both," the brunette sweat-dropped.

"It does, doesn't it."

Asalie rubbed her arm as she mumbled, "Sorry about earlier, with your dad-"

"Don't apologize, I agree and I'm still angry with him- his research unleashed hell," Gladion cut her off, gaze furrowed and far too old for someone his age.

Asalie shivered at this, forcing down the memories of that day- if she let herself be overwhelmed now, she'd be useless.

"You were right, it was his research that opened the Ultra Wormhole and took him from us," the blond continued, hand clutching at his arm that on closer inspection, held several faint horizontal scars. "After that, our mother began to change. At first, she was obsessed with killing all of the Ultra Beasts and destroying Ultra Space. Then, she became obsessed with being there with the Ultra Beasts- like it would bring her closer to him."

Asalie didn't know what to think. _She started out wanting to avenge him, and then became obsessed with what took him from her?_ Memories of Astrid when she was grafting the Zygarde Cells and Ultra Beast bits onto her came back- how she flip-flopped between wanting to save them and wanting to use them to kill the Ultra Beasts.

 _What am I supposed to do with this? If that bolster serum does that they say it does, then they were both in control of their actions. They were just free of any inhibitions or fear of repercussion..._

"Dammit, I can't just do nothing!" Asalie cried. "I can't just sit around and wait for someone else to do this!"

"You'll have to." Compass stated. "We can't risk you losing control like before."

"I- _No!_ I can't-"

Storm shakes her head, not unkindly. "You have done enough. More than anyone should."

She gritted her teeth tightly before bowing her head- sitting around with nothing but ruminating on this information made her stomach churn, but it seemed she had no choice here. "Thank you for telling me all this, Gladion," she said softly.

"You risked your neck coming here to save Lillie, and you and Hau were there for her when I wasn't." Gladion replied, expression softer. "It's honestly the least I can do."

Asalie nodded to this before her stomach growled and she jumped at the noise. "The cafeteria's open during this time," Compass said and opened the door where Lillie and Hau fell forward from where they were listening before the officer caught them.

They stood still, not sure what to say- a moment later, Asalie's stomach growled louder and Lillie and Hau's followed. Her face would've burned before but much to her own surprise, her lips started to turn upwards and she had to fight down a snicker. Lillie's own mouth was starting to follow suit and her hand came up to try and stifle the chuckle and Hau's own grin was already spreading across his face.

Their laughter echoed down the hall for a good minute.

* * *

There was little talking, the three were too hungry for conversation. The only sounds in the cafeteria were utensils clinking and chewing and sipping. Asalie found that her teeth were sharp enough so that even biting into an apple core was like biting into a peach's skin and had to be careful not to let them grate against the skin of her gums and tongue.

But even that tasted good right now and she ended up eating the core before finally leaning back against the chair, stomach comfortably full. Lillie and Hau followed her example, sighing with relief. The brunette didn't know what to say now, but "I'm sorry about earlier," came out first.

"I know. You're angry, I won't hold that against you," Lillie said gently. "I'm angry too, but we can't just point fingers right now, not with so much at stake."

"Well, I'm glad that we're able to talk like this," Hau said with a tired grin. "I know things are crazy rough right now."

"I hope they'll get moving soon,"Asalie sighed. "They've got the location and flutes already, so all they need is someone to go."

"Perhaps this may help Nebby as well

Asalie stood up straighter at this. "They're still asleep?

Lillie took off her backpack and opened it up while shifting it down- Nebby appeared, hovering slightly- they were silent and still. Storm and Compass tensed up at this but the blonde only brought the backpack up over them and redid the strap. "They used to be so adamant on getting out of the bag," she said forlornly. "I wish they'd move, if only for that..."

"Dammit, Lusamine..." Asalie began to mutter before catching herself in front of Lillie.

"I know- my mother has done a great deal of harm to us," Lillie agreed, fists tightening. "Even in the beast's world, she still hurting others."

"All the more reason to get in there and stop her," Asalie said determinedly. "The flutes are with Officer Detect and Lien, aren't they?"

"Yeah-I gave them the Sun Flute already and they got the Moon flute from Officer Anabel," the green-haired boy affirmed.

"I hope she's not hurt too badly," the blonde said, brows furrowed. "I know we crossed each other, but we all want to protect Alola from the beasts-"

 _ **Wwwwwrrr...**_

They looked up at the noise, trying to pinpoint it's location before Hau gave a shout of alarm and pointed. Outside the window of the cafeteria, the air began to distort. Storm and Compass threw out their Arcanine and Stoutland, the canine Pokemon growling lowly as they shifted into a fighting stance. Asalie yelped in surprise as the two officers gave her her poke-balls and she gratefully accepted them before she and Hau got between Lillie and the window. The air began to crack as though glass before it looked like it shattered and a funnel going in appeared.

The glass of the windows shattered and Asalie wasn't sure if she had cried out in surprise along with Lillie before she instinctively ducked down, the shards striking her arm and side as she shielded herself and bouncing off the scales while cutting the flesh. As she peeked out from beneath the limb, she saw a creature with a white globe head, striped blue, pink and yellow body with thin limbs and white pad-like hands and feet stood before them. The star on it's head had a pale yellow circle faintly glowing.

"Extreme Speed!/ Hyper voice!" Storm and Compass shouted out, the two canine Pokemon leaping into action.

However, Arcanine's attack phased right through the Ultra Beast and sent them sprawling against the ground and slamming against the wall while Stoutland's hyper voice didn't seem to do anything before the Ultra Beast slammed it across the room. Storm and Compass were about to shout out further commands only for the Ultra Beast to suddenly pop it's head off.

The officers stared stunned, unable to tear their eyes off as the Ultra Beast rolled it's head down one arm, then it's hand tip the head over it's shoulders and down the opposite arm... before throwing it straight at Storm. The head bounced off her chest and slammed her into the wall with a sickening crack before slamming into Compass' back with a crunch, both impacts jolting the poke-balls on their belts off and rolling behind the Ultra Beast.

Asalie's mouth dropped open in horror, her legs folding in on themselves at the display of casual violence. The Ultra Beast's head bounced back onto it's neck, body twitching before it folded over as though in pain. After a moment, it danced across the room- albeit more jerky and stilted- and landed in front of Asalie. The brunette paling as the pale yellow light blinked at her, hands shaking and torn whether to remain still or act.

"X-scissors!"

Liko slammed down on the Ultra Beast with his pincers, but the attack didn't even seem to faze them and the Lurantis was swatted away- he barely avoided the wall before flipping back onto his feet, a harsh bruise in his side. The distraction still gave Asalie a chance to get away and pull Lillie along with Hau brought out getting Pele and Akela. Storm's Arcanine and Compass' Stoutland leaped for the Ultra Beast and their fangs fastened on the beast's limbs, holding it back.

They burst out of the room, running as fast as they could before they found more officers. "ULTRA BEAST!" they shouted as loud as they could with the little air in their lungs. "THERE'S AN ULTRA BEAST HERE!"

The officers paled at this information but were already rushing to the scene. Asalie kept running until she got back to the room where Astin and her father were sitting across from Sina and Dexio- they stood up when they noticed her. "Star-?"

 _"There's an Ultra Beast here! A wormhole just-"_ Her breath ran short and she panted again to regain the oxygen.

Ashwin paled and Astin stood at attention while Sina and Dexio wasted no more time in grabbing their notes and pushing the machine onto the trolley to cart it about. "We need to warn the officers!" the blond exclaimed as they raced out of the room. "Were the officers with you-?"

"I don't know," she rasped, their bodies flickering against her eyes and she shook her head harshly- there was nothing she could do for them now.

Sina and Dexio pulled out their bags and poke-balls before turning to the family. "Hide for now- we're joining the fight!" They ran out a moment later.

Astin leaned against Ashwin, panting a little more even. Asalie went to his side to help steady him, asking Lillie, "Is there anywhere we can hide here?"

Lillie thought for a moment before replying, "Our living quarters have the best defenses- and if things get bad, we can escape to the lower levels..."

"It'll have to do," the brunette grimaced, not enthused at the prospect of being in the trophy room again but knowing it was necessary- and the beginnings of a plan began to form.

They ran out to the living quarters, the sounds of battle beginning as they reached the door covered in police tape. Moke pulled the doors apart and they headed in. Asalie grimaced at the bars over the windows and doors, keeping focused on their objective. They went to the master bedroom where the warp panel was- it was still on.

"The activation code is here," Lillie said as she picked up the golden lamp where a small series of numbers was. "The upper sequence can deactivate the warp panel and the lower reactivates it."

"All right, let's go," Ashwin said once he copied the numbers down.

Asalie's fist tightened as she watched her father and brother stumble to the panel before turning to look at her. "Star? Come on, we've got to head down."

"Y-yeah..."

Her feet felt like lead but she kept walking before she was in front of them. Her hand clenched around Titus' poke-ball and brought the Alolan Ninetales out. "Asa..." Astin began, reaching out and gripping her shoulder.

She raised her head, fighting back tears as she met her brother's eyes. She knew he knew what she was planning and he nodded to her determinedly. "Knock 'em dead," he said softly.

"Wait-" Ashwin began but Asalie's command, "Extrasensory," pushed him and her brother back on the warp panel and they disappeared down to the trophy room before she typed in the deactivation code and grabbed her friends hands before running out the room. "Ice beam- thin layer," she told Titus and the Alolan Ninetales obeyed, casing the doors in ice.

"Asa?!" Hau exclaimed in disbelief, Lillie grabbing her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"There's no time," the brunette rasped. "We get the flutes and Hau's page rider and we get to the altar. We have to end this, one way or another- and I'm not letting either of them get hurt this time."

Her friends exchanged glanced before Hau nodded, expression uneasy but determined and Lillie's grip on her shoulder tightened before she pulled the brunette into a tight hug. Asalie's eyes widened and she felt the niggling but familiar warmth in her stomach for just a moment before it disappeared.

They ran back to the building just in time to hear an explosion and several shouts. They ran inside to find that the halls had several scorch marks and and destroyed walls and equipment, and Asalie's stomach lurched at seeing bits and pieces of the Ultra Beast from before, along with a bloodied hand and cracked green visor amidst the carnage. She shook her head harshly and kept running forward, the sounds of battle were becoming louder. As she turned the corner, she slammed into someone.

A woman with lavender hair hanging down to her waist with eyes the same color, wearing a white shirt with bandages strapped around her chest and struggling to walk met her gaze, an Alakazam behind her supporting her with his psychic power. Hau and Lillie both exclaimed in surprise, "Officer Anabel!"

The officer before them steadied herself up to as she looked down on them, expression torn between anger and pain. But the brunette didn't bother to remain still and brought out Pellimore. "Spirit Shackle!" she barked and grabbed Lillie and Hau's hands as the Decidueye fired several spectral arrows at the officer before she returned her, running past the officer as fast as she could.

They reached the entrance hall and ground to a halt when she saw a second Ultra Beast- the same kind as before- fighting the officers along with Sina and Dexio. Though their Pokemon moved with all their speed and struck with all their might, the beast danced and whirled out of the way and even moved so that their attacks would hit the officers while smashed it's other opponents across the room, bodies broken.

"Officer Detect!" she yelled to the brunette officer from where she held her bloodied arm to her body while her team fought. "The flutes and page rider! NOW!"

Detect's eyes widened at seeing her but she pointed upwards before barely dodging the beast's next attack, throwing herself to the floor before rolling back onto her feet to get away and giving Lein's Gurdurr a chance to use rock throw. "The Conservation Deck!" Lillie realized. "But how-?"

 **Whyysssrrss...**

The Ultra Beast's head cocked to the side as it turned to them after backhanding the Gurdurr away- Asalie shivered at the eye, hand reaching for her poke-balls before several shadow balls knocked it backwards.

She looked behind, stunned to see the lavender-haired officer behind them and still standing with her Alakazam, her Mismagius out as well- the psychic type looked none the worse for the wear despite taking Spirit Shackle head on. The next moment, she brought out a powerful looking Salemance and Asalie tensed before the officer got out, _"Get on."_

They obeyed and boarded the Salemance, Asalie wincing when she saw the bruises still dotting his body. The dragon type flew for the entrance doors at high speed, flamethrower knocking them open before they got outside. The Ultra Beast followed, leaping off the buildings and jumping like an acrobat as they flew towards the Conservation deck.

Mohn was with the Pokemon along with Gladion and Wicke, both being supported by Silvally and Espeon- her relief clogged her chest at seeing the Aether employees with them included Daniel and Moira. "The page rider and flutes!" she yelled to them.

Mohn looked surprised at seeing her but he got out them the page rider and the flutes, the latter two wrapped in cloth and tied together. But the next moment, the Ultra Beast burst in after them. But as it lunged for them, Silvally leaped into the air and fastened their fangs around it's side and slammed it onto the ground. Espeon's eyes glowed with psychic power as she lifted them up to them. Lillie grabbed the page rider while Hau reached for the flutes-

 _swish_

Asalie blinked as the Ultra Beast's eye blinked at her before-

 **BOOM**

Her eyes squeezed shut and she was nearly jostled off before her head hit something warm and stationary. Her head was ringing and she could faintly hear Lillie crying out someone's name and she forced her eyes open, even as the world continued to shift before her. The world had become silent, save the piercing ringing in her ears and her scales- she could faintly see psychic power around them as Alakazam and Mismagius both made the shields to take the brunt of the explosion. Anabel growled lowly as she tried to steady the dragon type and Lillie was looking down in horror, even with the flutes held in her hands.

But where was Hau?

Asalie's stomach lurched in horror at the absence of her friend and tried to look down to find him. She could faintly see a human sized hole in the glass of the conservation deck's roof but that was it. But she wasn't given time to worry for her friend when a third Ultra Beast, with a scorched head from the attack, leaped at them.

"Merga Bien, shadow ball! Solomon, keep the screens up!" the officer snarled, one arm clutching the dragon while the other clutched at her chest. "Hida, evasive maneuvers!"

Merga Bien shot rapid-fire shadow balls at the Ultra Beast while Solomon's eyes glowed brighter and kept the shields up. Hida went into a dive-bomb and Asalie's stomach lurched as the world kept shifting around her. Closing her eyes did nothing to alleviate the nausea or the dizziness and she clutched Hida's back as tightly as she could, Lillie doing the same as she held onto her from behind.

The Ultra Beast leaped back from where the shadow balls slammed it into the ground and landed directly on the Salemcance. Asalie shouted in surprise, reaching for her poke-balls before Anabel barked, "Crunch!"

Hida's jaws cracked around the Ultra Beast's torso and arm and the brunette stared as she saw something black and thick seep from the fangs making contact. The Ultra Beast screeched in pain, wriggling like a Weedle as it tried to get free- it tried to reach for it's head, but the damage made it's eyes blink rapidly and dizzy. The Salemance kept biting down harder and he took a turn for the open ocean, his fangs digging in harder and harder as the Ultra Beast screeched in pain- and fear?

 _ **Crack**_

Hida opened his jaws and let the two halves of the Ultra Beast fall into the sea, spitting out the black liquid in the meantime. Asalie stared stunned at this, relief and disgust both taking equal room in her emotional state. Anabel brought Solomon and Merga Bien back with a weary smile, murmuring, "Well done," before placing a hand on the Salemance's side.

 _"Let's go."_

* * *

Sorry for the lateness- my grandfather finally passed away at the ripe age of 90 and I've been getting to his funeral and burial, both which were held on different days. Along with that is work taking up even more of my time- seven to nine hour shifts five days a week- and **The Depression** rearing it's ugly head and sapping away my energy...

Also upcoming jury duty.

Anyways, final stretch is in sights! Now that SAU is drawing to a close, I'd like to propose something: I will set a poll and you get to vote what story I will start a rewrite for, or if you'd like me to write for Ultra Sun and Moon.

So the choices are: Fullmetal Geass, Suzaku of the Remix or Ultra Sun and Moon novelization (I have stated previously that I will wait until Attack on Titan finishes before starting the rewrite for Ally with Monster) The one with the most votes I will begin to rewrite. Sound good? Great.


	46. Chapter 46

Gigarot: It's been a long time coming- not just for the two to reconcile and find some common ground, but for Asalie to learn of the Paradisi family's circumstances.

No more USUM plot threads are going to come up in this story.

* * *

The sun slowly rose higher into the air as they kept flying forward.

"Why did you decide to help us now?" Asalie asked once they were far away enough from Aether Paradise. "You were trying so hard to stop them before- what changed?"

"We didn't have more and more wormholes popping up like this before- the situation is getting even more desperate," the officer ground out, eyes like steel. "I still don't like doing this- I think it'll only invite more disaster, but it's also our only choice to get some control over the wormholes."

"I hope Hau is all right..." Lillie said softly, clutching tighter against the brunette's back. "He fell trying to grab the flutes and I barely managed to save them..."

Asalie reached as best she could to grip her hand. "Hau had his team on him, and Gladion and the others were down below him- they wouldn't let him hit the ground," she said, for both their benefit.

Now that she was away from battle, she felt sick with worry and anticipation over what happened. She prayed that Hau was still alive and not in too much pain- if he was really...

She shook her head harshly, refusing to let the thought finish. "How long until we reach the Altar of the Skye?"

"With our current speed..." the officer murmured before Hida's head began to drop, body twitching as he tried to stay on course before he dropped several feet down.

Asalie gasped and held on tightly as her stomach dropped at the sudden shift and Anabel murmured lowly to the dragon. The Salemance restrained a groan of pain and the officer said sternly, "We need to find land- he's not going to be able to fly for much longer."

The officer pulled brought out Solomon and Merga Bien, the two Pokemon too experienced to be surprised at their location. "Use psychic and keep Hida afloat," she ordered and the two glowed with power as they surrounded the dragon and his riders with psychic energy, steadying him out. "Thank you," Anabel said, hand smoothing over Hida's scales and stopping short of the bruises.

But there was no land as far as they could see- just ocean. Regardless, the Alakazam and Mismagius kept their power around Hida going as they looked for a place to land. Lillie looked at the two Pokemon, brows furrowing when her eyes settled on some of the bruises that had yet to heal. "You did battle the Ultra Beasts after we... left," she said, hesitating on the word. "I'm amazed you're able to fight at all after so many fights with them."

The officer nodded vaguely to this. "If it weren't for the fact that your actions saved us time and officers, I would have had you all arrested," she stated, making Asalie move protectively between them before the blonde gently shook her head.

Eventually, Asalie spotted some land on the horizon and Solomon and Merga Bien concentrated harder to help Hida fly to it. They soon hovered over a small village with docks and canopy connected to the shore and landed on the end. The Alakazam and Mismagius gasped as they were able to release their power and Hida collapsed onto the docks stomach first, panting for breath. Anabel returned Hida to the poke-ball, murmuring her thanks before looking around and her eyes settling on the Pokemon Center in the left corner of the village- she moved to get up before nearly falling forward if not for Solomon's psychic power quickly steadying her.

"Let's go," she ground out, despite the clear agony she was in. "Our teams need rest and we need supplies."

Asalie nodded in agreement, grimacing at the lack of weight on her- none of them carried backpacks save Lillie and the brunette already knew that they couldn't rely solely on her to supply them or else they'd run out fast and she'd be left with nothing.

The Pokemon Center was locked up tight, though this wasn't a surprise considering the village being deserted. Anabel had Solomon force the door open and they went inside, Merga Bien casting a glow inside the dark building so they could see. It looked as though several people had been crammed inside at a point before all rushing out, the lobby and desk in disarray and Asalie nearly recoiled at the smells inside, hand clamping over her mouth and nose as her eyes shut tightly.

She felt Lillie grip her shoulder comfortingly and she forced herself to calm down and lower her hand. The smells were still present but Asalie noticed that most of them were becoming stale- sweat, fear and some blood wafted against her nostrils, along with one that smelled of new clothes and energy and the other was of something _festering_.

"They must have been evacuated some time ago," Anabel deduced, hand coming up to rest against her chest where the bandages were visible beneath her collar. "We can take what's left over."

Asalie wondered if it was irony that the police officer was telling them to loot, but Anabel was right in that they needed supplies. She and Lillie went over to the PokeMart and the brunette grinned at the sight of the medicine still left over. She let Anabel to the picking first, since her team was still injured. She took some of the full restores they had in stock and tended to Hida's bruises before moving onto Solomon and Merga Bien and let Asalie for the rest.

The employee that worked here had clearly tried to take as much as they could but there was still a great deal left over. Further investigation and the brunette was elated to find that were still several max repels left- she had heard of how hard it was navigating the Ponis from Lillie and the others especially with the wild Pokemon, but with Anabel here with her higher-leveled Pokemon would give them a chance. She found some hyper potions, full heals and restores and was even able to find some max ethers and elixirs along with some revives.

But she quickly ran into the problem of how she would carry her findings, knowing that she couldn't just hold it all in her arms and pockets. She heard a hiss and thud and turned around as Lillie's old duffel bag appeared from it's capsule and the blonde handed it to her. "I know it's not what you're used to, but it's better than nothing," she said.

"Thanks," she replied back with a grateful smile as she began to load up the duffel bag with her findings and waited for Anabel to finish up healing her team.

The officer went to the cafe and found some energy bars and bottles of water along with some cans of food and a can opener. She put most of it away but took out one of the cans and opened it up, devouring the contents in a few minutes. The food that Asalie had had in the cafeteria seemed farther away than it should and wondered what time it was.

"Can you still work the page rider?" Anabel asked Lillie once she finished eating.

"We still have the data from the page rider, but it's not much use if we don't have a Pokemon big enough to carry us there," Lillie said with a frown as she tried to punch the other functions only to get an error sign. "The beacon signal doesn't work right now either, so we can't bring Kaia here."

"So we'll have to walk there then," Anabel deduced with a grimace, Solomon looking just as enthusiastic.

"Not necessarily," the blonde replied. "We can find Hapu and ask for her help- she has a Flygon."

 _"If_ she can," Asalie pointed out. "She might not be here, if everyone else is gone."

"There's still a chance Red and Blue are here, though- Red seems to enjoy strong opponents and it's doubtful Blue would leave him alone," Lillie suggested.

Asalie began to counter this before realizing that she was trying to counter why a trainer who was known for heading into the remotest parts of the world, where humans would never dare settle because of the powerful Pokemon, on a regular basis wouldn't stay to fight powerful Pokemon like aliens. Along with the point that Blue was his fiance and wouldn't leave his side. "Right," she finally said.

They left the Pokemon Center after that but before they were to turn to the Poni Wilds, someone shouted out, _"Ahoy there!"_

She looked back at the greeting and found a stout man with black hair and beard wearing blue, waving to them from a Magikarp boat. "Lapis!" Lillie greeted him, relief evident. "Don't you know it's dangerous here?"

"Of course I do! I've been ferryin' folks out for the last day and night!" the man said, fist thumping against his chest.

"Indeed," a familiar voice stated and Hapu rose from inside the boat, nodding to the three trainer and lingering on the brunette. "It's splendid to see you've returned to us, Asalie."

Asalie smiled at seeing the kahuna before she said, "I assume you've returned with the Sun and Moon Flutes?"

"That's right," Lillie affirmed. "We barely escaped an attack on Aether from the Ultra Beasts after a wormhole opened up by us. And you're helping the people of Poni Island evacuate- is there anyone left?"

"Only those who have chosen to stay and fight- we have a camp in the north," Hapu explained. "I only returned so that we can formulate a battle plan in case more wormholes prop up."

She turned to Lapis. "Thank you for ferrying me here- you should return to your family now.

"May the Guardians watch over you all," he said, solemn as he returned to the Magikarp boat and rode away.

"We don't have any transportation for getting to the Altar- the page rider was damaged," Lillie said with a frown as she gestured to the device and frowned softly as she looked at the lavender haired officer. "And we have no Pokemon who can safely fly us there."

"Then I believe that I can help you in that regard," Hapu said as she drew forth her shiny Flygon and Asalie could have sworn she saw sparkles around the draognfly like Pokemon. "He will need more than one trip to get us there, but he can do it."

Asalie sighed with relief at this- they had a gameplan and a destination. Anabel also smiled with relief at this before wincing in pain, her arm coming up to support the underneath of her chest while Solomon looked at her in worry. "Maybe take the officer first? She's actually injured and she's fought the Ultra Beasts before- she could help with battle plans," the brunette suggested quickly.

Anabel and Hapu looked back at each other at this before the latter turned to Lillie. "Will you be all right waiting for our return?" she asked.

"Yes," she affirmed.

Anabel went to them first and gave them several blue spheres. "These are Beast Balls- their capture rate is highest when used on the Ultra Beasts."

"Thank you."

The kahuna and Alakazam helped the officer board the Flygon's back and Hapu climbed in after her. The ground/dragon type fluttered his wings carefully as he hovered above the ground slowly before they began to grow stronger. Asalie winced at the tailwind being sent in all directions before the Flygon took to the sky and flew for the north, slowly growing out of sight.

The brunette and blonde looked to the sky before settling by the docks, sitting together over the water to wait. Lillie's hands occasionally came to fiddle with her ponytail while Asalie's fingers trailed down her arm where the scales melded into her flesh.

"What happens now?" she wondered, eyes flickering when she realized she said this out loud.

Lillie raised her head to look at the sea, expression pensive but she said nothing. "I mean, this is all still so crazy," the brunette kept going, hands clutching at her arms. "I've been going with it because there's nothing else we can do and if we don't do anything, then-"

She shook her head, hand trenbling from where it gripped the appendage. "But I have no idea what to do when we finally finish this," she said, voice growing hoarse. "What am I supposed to-?"

Her sentence was cut off when Lillie suddenly gripped her hand tightly. The brunette startled by this and looked up at the blonde before realizing her eyes were locked on something, and that something wasn't the sea. She followed her gaze and she eyes widened at seeing a boat zooming on them- a boat with the skull emblem on it.

Asalie pulled herself up, grabbing the poke-balls with Kumonga and Ifrit while pulling Lillie behind her as the boat got nearer to the docks. When it finally arrived, several grunts she could vaguely recognize all piled out, falling on top of each other trying to get out. After a minute of them flailing, Asalie began to sweat-drop and turned to Lillie as she declared, "Let's just go."

"Hold- _hold th' fuck up!"_ A shrieked as he leaped from the pile and stumbled towards them.

Asalie scowled and turned to face him, reaching for Kumonga and Ifrit before changing her mind and bringing out Ruby and Titus. "You hold the fuck up," she shot back. "We don't have time for you dumbasses getting in our way-"

"We're not here ta fight!" E exclaimed, pulling herself out of the pile. "We mean it! Honest!"

"Then why are you here?" Lillie asked, coming between Asalie and the grunts.

"We heard 'bout these alien-freaks-" B gasped out.

"- how they startin' t' fuck ever'thin' up-" F continued.

"- an' how our boy Guzma straight up vanished when they came 'long!" J cried out.

Asalie frowned as she remembered the last time she had seen Guzma- him nearly kicking her off of the roof in Po Town, injuring Gladion before she flew over him, him trying to kill her friends on Lusamine's behest, doing _something_ to his Scizor and then running after him into the Ultra Wormhole all blurred together in her mind. "So why are you here then?" she asked.

"We heard you'v got a way t' get back our boi Guzma!" A declared.

Asalie stared at this. _"How?"_

"We heard Kahuna Nanu talkin' an' he said sumthin' 'bout flutes an' altars, but that ya might be able ta go ta where th' boss is!" C explained quickly.

"Now tell us how t' get 'im back!" B shouted.

"Yeah!" F exclaimed.

"We'll give our 200% t' save Guzma!" J declared.

The brunette stared at the grunts, silent as she processed this before anger- hot and cold- welled inside of her. "Why the hell should I help any of you?! All you've ever done is try and steal and hurt people, and your boss is the worst one of you!"

"Why you!" C yelled as he scrambled to his feet, about to run at her-

 _"That's enough!"_

C shouted in surprise, as did the other grunts as they all looked around for the source of the voice. Asalie found it first, that being Plumeria being supported by her Crobat as she hovered above them. The four-winged bat lowered the skull admin and she touched down before she panted for her breath briefly- the next moment, she had the grunts pinned with a stern look.

"I have my back turned for a minute- _one minute_ \- and you're stealing our only boat, and leaving Malie City undefended," she got out, breath heaving- the bandages looked fresh but the wound on her chest was still causing her pain.

"Buh- big sis-" J pleaded but Plumeria's stern look silenced her. "Risking yourselves when we have no idea where those wormholes'll appear or what they'll bring- what were you thinking?"

"Big sis, these guys know how ta get Guzma back!" A cried out, gesturing to Lillie and Asalie. "We had'ta try sumthin' ta get 'im back!"

But the skull admin only held her hand up to stop his tirade. "That's _enough."_

"Well said- now get out of our way so we don't have to deal with you!" Asalie snapped, having it up to here with the skulls. "It just wasn't enough, was it? Hurting and kidnapping people and stealing, nooo- you just had to put Alola- and the world- at risk!"

"I know."

Asalie began to open her mouth again before she realized what she had said and stopped, wind yanked from her sails. "I know," Plumeria said again, fist clenched as she met her gaze. "I've treated you both like shit- even if it was under the orders of the president, it was still a dick move. You never attacked my dumb brothers and sisters first either- and you're right about what we did too. I don't expect forgiveness from either of you."

"Big sis!" I protested in upset.

"E-Exactly!" Asalie exclaimed. "So what are you still here for?!"

"I just want you to hear me out. Please," the admin said softly.

"Continue," Lillie said, stepping beside Asalie, the brunette unsure but ultimately not stopping the skull admin.

Plumeria nodded back and her expression became pensive, as though she were trying to find the words to say. "Guzma... he likes the president. Like, _really_ likes her," she said slowly. "She was the first, maybe only, adult to acknowledge his strength. To tell him that he was capable of becoming great, and that he deserved to be..."

She trailed off at this and Asalie felt a sick feeling in her stomach. She could picture this far too well now, remembering Lusamine's honeyed words in the restaurant and at Aether Paradise the first time they met. In the trophy room where she had learned the truth behind those words and her stomach twisted as she realized what Plumeria was telling them.

 _He fell for the same trap I did._

She felt Lillie grip her hand gently and she looked up as the blonde met Plumeria's gaze. "My mother is selfish," she said without preamble. "She lavishes her love onto those she deems 'worthy', and doesn't care if it's wanted or not."

Her gaze sharpened as she declared, "I will take her from the beast's world, not just because she is causing them pain there as well, and because there are still things I need to say to her."

Plumeria blinked in surprise at this, looking her over with a new light. "... you remind me of her. I mean obviously, you've both gone in different directions- but your strength in your convictions are the same." The look in her eyes never changed but Asalie could have sworn she saw them become wet. "If you're really going to bring her back..."

"Then we would be able to bring Guzma back as well," Lillie finished. "Is that it?"

Plumeria nodded and Asalie scowled at this- even if she sympathized with what happened with Guzma, that didn't mean she would ignore what he had done to her and to who knows how many other trainers. He was capable of being and had been cruel and sadistic and she privately hoped they would find his body rather than finding him alive.

"I know you've got no reason to help," Plumeria addressed the brunette, making her straighten at the attention. So if it'll make you feel better about what's happened... you can take it out on me."

 _"... what?!"_ Asalie, Lillie and the skull grunts all exclaimed together in surprise, confusion and disbelief.

"I roughed you up pretty badly, and I took your friend from you," the skull admin acknowledged. "If this'll convince you to save Guzma..." Plumeria spread her arms out, acceptance in her eyes.

Asalie stared at her stunned- she felt a shiver of thrill go up her spine at the prospect of paying the woman before her back for the trouble she had caused for her and her friends.

"NO!" The skull grunts all shouted and clamored as they leaped in front of and around Plumeria with their arms and bodies out-stretched as they tried to shield her, tears and snot steadily leaking from their eyes and noses.

"Don't beat up our sis!" H cried.

"Hit me instead!" G exclaimed.

"No, me!" E yelled.

"Leave our sis outta this!" C shouted.

"Kick my ass!" D said.

"No, kick mine!" A shouted.

"Don't hurt our sis!" I pleaded.

"We're the ones who fucked with you!" B cried out.

"Don't take it out on our sis!" F begged.

"You guys..." Plumeria trailed off, exasperated and touched.

Asalie was about to sweat-drop before she actually looked at the woman behind the grunts trying to protect her. She saw the bruises on the skull admin's body, the bandages around her chest where it was still injured even months later, the dark circles that were still visible from underneath her make-up. She felt sick at this and the thought she actually felt excited about hurting someone.

 _What am I, a Rocket?_

"I'M NOT HITTING ANYONE!" Asalie finally yelled over the skull grunts' inelegant blubbering. "It's not gonna make anything better, and I'd probably kill you if I took you up on that!" Her hand came up to clutch at the skin and scales as she added, "Besides, I'm not gonna beat you up just so you can feel better about what you did!"

"Nalani-" Plumeria began before the brunette pointed a finger in her face.

"I'm not letting you off the hook like that, I'm not the only one you've hurt and the only one you have to make amends to." Her fist balled tightly as she spoke next, "Besides, no one can make up for what they've done if they're dead. You and Guzma both."

"... huh," Plumeria said, honestly stunned. "I knew you were stubborn after the Ruins of Life. You didn't just stand up to us, you confronted Aether's darkness and..."

Her eyes averted to the scales on Asalie's arms. "When we first met at the Ruins of Life, you knocked me back with those scales of yours. I don't know what they are, but I've got a feeling they've been causing some pain, past and present."

Asalie's grip tightened on her arm as the woman asked, "Are you sure about doing this?"

Was she sure? Of course not- she was about to attempt to go to an utterly alien world and bring back a thug and the woman responsible for all of this. "It's all I can do now," she finally said.

Plumeria regarded Asalie before rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Dammit," she sighed in defeat. "You _are_ the real deal- one of the realest trainers I've ever met."

She then threw something to Asalie and she caught it- it was dark violet crystal with a skull and bones like ensigna. "That's Poisonium-Z. I know the former president's got a fairy and grass type, so this should give you an edge at least," Plumeria said, "and you can take it as part of my apology. I know it'll take a lot more before I can say I've atoned."

Asalie stared at the crystal, hand clutching at it tightly. "I'm sorry, but I can't even use this right now. I lost my Z-Ring somewhere between Ultra Space and the archipelago."

"Considering you're going back to where you might have dropped, it's better to have it on you," Plumeria pointed out before turning back to the grunts, faces wet but relieved- they reminded Asalie vaguely of Lillipups. "All right, let's get back to Malie."

They boarded the boat, the grunts actually waving goodbye. "Good luck!" they cried out, most of them starting to cry again at this point. "Thanks!"

They disappeared into the horizon soon enough. "Even Team Skull can do good- I hope they really do reform once this is all over," Lillie said, smiling slightly.

Asalie wondered if she was surprised by what happened- this situation was painfully common in her games. The minor bad guys would join up with the good guys to stop the bigger bad and find redemption in the end by paying for their crimes. She was still wary of them, but she had a feeling that they would really try to reform. "Me too," she said softly.

Lillie smiled to her, gently taking the hand that was still clutching her arm and holding it comfortingly. The sun was slowly rising above them higher into the sky

She heard the fluttering of the Flygon's wings as Hapu reached them. "Officer Anabel is with the others in the grove," she said. "Would you like to join her, or head straight for the altar?"

Asalie looked to Lillie and the blonde said, "The sooner we get to the Altar, the better. But we should at least explain our plan and bring backup."

"I can manage to get the information to them," Hapu agreed before looking at the sun. "Unfortunately, noon has already passed and we'll have to wait for nightfall."

"All right then."

They boarded the Flygon and they flew over the mountains and wilds of Poni Island and discussed their plan: Asalie and Lillie would go to the Beast's World and find Guzma and Lusamine, bring them back by whatever means and then ask the Legendary Pokemon to close the other wormholes. It was sketchy at best, but their best bet at the time. Red, Blue Mina and Anabel would be back-up along with Hapu in case anything happened.

As they continued to fly, Asalie was awestruck at the land before her. The mountains, plains, groves and rivers were incredible to behold and she resolved to some day explore it for real- if she could get Lillie and Hau to come with her, that would be even better. She might drag Gladion along for the blonde and to try and get to know him better. But for now, she had to concentrate- she looked ahead and blinked when she saw a strange building reaching into the clouds.

 _When did they have time to build that?_ she wondered as they passed above a great river and fields before turning to long and deep canyons and mountains- she could briefly make out some bridges below.

Soon, they arrived at a great monument with the symbol of a star carved into the rock and an altar in the middle before some great stairs. They landed on the ground as Lillie pulled out the book, showcasing the same scene. "It looks like we have to play the flutes here," she said, pointing to two pedestals.

She pulled out the two flutes and unwrapped the fabric around them, taking the Sun Flute while Asalie took the Moon Flute. "The one who plays the Sun Flute is there-" She pointed to the left, "- and the Moon flute there," and gestured to the right.

"I will return with the others as soon as I can," Hapu said before boarding Flygon once more and taking to the skies.

With that, they sat down to wait for the sun to lower. "Asalie," Lillie suddenly spoke up, "what will you do when this is over?"

The brunette stared at this. "I- don't know," she said truthfully. "Everything's been happening so fast, and so much at once... truth be told, I still want to be a trainer. I want to see the rest of Alola, especially this island. I want to keep traveling."

Lillie perked up at this. "Really?"

"Yeah." She looked down at her arms, hands clenching as she looked at the scales on her body. The blonde went to her side and put her hands over her fists gently. "Then I want to be by your side," she declared.

Asalie stared in amazement at this declaration and at another time, her face would have burned at the blonde being so close to her. "You know, the day we met? I didn't save Nebby because they were in trouble," she admitted. "It was to impress you- I didn't want to let you down, because I thought you were cute. You reminded me of the princesses and love interests in my games."

"But that was still brave of you, and kind to help someone you only just met," Lillie pointed out. "And you still went on this journey despite your fears. You kept going forward and tried to better yourself however you could, and tried to help others when you could. I have always admired that of you."

Her fingers brushed the back on her hands. "That's why I grew to love you as I did."

Asalie's head jolted up at this, eyes widening at the admission. "Uh- I- um-" she stammered, now feeling the blood fleeing into her face.

Lillie's face was pink as she said this but kept her gaze steady. "I wanted you to know this, before we leave. Whatever we find, and whatever comes after- this is how I feel."

The brunette couldn't meet her gaze- she was floored by this admission. "Why?!" She exclaimed. "Even after what happened these past few days- I was horrible to you when you were trying to help me! I'm still-"

"I couldn't bring myself to tell you because I was afraid you would brush me off or accuse me of lying," Lillie cut her off. "I didn't tell you and that caused you a great deal of pain. That was wrong."

Asalie's teeth gritted together as her face screwed up, trying desperately to keep her composure. "This is insane!" she gasped out, eyes burning. "I'm not even human anymore! With the way I am now- I don't know if I'll hurt someone or-"

Lillie hugged her tightly at this. "It doesn't matter- you are still you no matter what, and I will always have faith in you," she murmured.

* * *

They stayed like that for hours- Asalie didn't know how time could pass by so fast yet feel so slow, but it did. Even when Hapu returned with a blonde woman with pink paint all over her- whom she learned was Mina and a trial captain- two men that could only be Red and Blue and Anabel despite her injuries, she never felt inclined to move from where she was. The weight of what they were about to do had finally sunk in.

 _We really might not come back from this,_ she realized, tightening her grip on the girl she had grown to love.

If someone had told her before she came to Alola she'd fight criminal organizations, meet aliens while embarking to their home dimension, create the best damn Pokemon team ever and meet so many people that she could honestly say she loved, she'd think that they were drunk or insane. But the fact that this all happened in a five to six month span made her head spin.

 _I don't want this to be the end,_ she thought, the faces of the people she met and her team flashed before her eyes. _I want to keep going, keep seeing Alola, keep being with everyone..._

The sun descended and shadows were cast over them as it dipped further into the horizon. The brunette kept her eyes closed against the blonde's chest, the warmth in her own glowing like Ifrit's flames.

 _Okay that was a_ really _bad simile,_ she thought, sweat-dropping at the comparison before she felt the blonde slowly withdraw.

The night sky was filled with stars and the moon shone above them, like a Cheshire Cat's grin. "It's time," the blonde woman, Mina, said, her expression becoming serious.

Red and Blue both took battle stances, the former looking almost eager, while Anabel gripped her poke-balls from where she leaned against the stairs and Hapu stod steady as ever. Asalie looked to Lillie and they met each other's gaze, knowing what they had to do.

The two girls looked up at the Altar and found two pedestals raised on the water- Lillie stood on the left and Asalie on the right before they each brought out of the Sun and Moon Flutes. The flute felt cool in Asalie's hands and a strange sensation came over here- she had never played the flute before, but she knew what to do as she raised it to her lips blew.

Two tones rang out as they blew into the instruments- though the melody was only a few moments long, the time after felt like an eternity. Asalie felt disconnected to her body as she played these notes, echoing in her ears before the feeling left and she lowered the flute. For a moment, she feared it hadn't worked. Blue blinked in confusion before asking, "Is that-?"

Then, the stone beneath them began to glow with color- Lillie's pedestal glowed bright orange, Asalie's indigo, and they traveled up the emblem above the alter. It opened up to reveal a pure white surface with a diamond in the middle that shone down pure white light down onto the centerpiece. Lillie's bag was suddenly wrenched off her back and flew to the light, Nebby floating out and directly in the middle. Light emitted from them before a great explosion burst out, sending up a dust cloud.

"Nebby!" Lillie cried out, rushing to the cloud of dust before she was suddenly scooped up into the air by what appeared to be thin claws.

Asalie and Hapu rushed forward before the dust began to clear- Lillie was being held by a bat-like creature, dark blue, violet and indigo, their body seemed more spectral than solid save the golden lining on their body The brunette looked between the two, unsure of what to do before the creature leaned forward while bringing Lillie up higher with their wings and gently nuzzled her face.

 **"PI~"**

"... no fucking way," Asalie whispered, realizing just what she had witnessed and her mind flashing back to the book.

 _The fragile heir of Alola-!_ _This whole time, Nebby's been the pre-evolution of the Legendary Pokemon! Or are they Ultra Beasts? Can Ultra Beasts evolve- gah, I'll wonder about it later!_

"... her bag evolved?" Blue said weakly in disbelief, Red looking torn between confusion and wanting to battle this new Pokemon.

"Nebby… th-thank goodness you're all right…" Lillie rasped as she hugged their head to her, foreheads touching. "Please, don't worry me- or us- like that again!"

 **"MAHA-PI~"**

"... I just had the best idea for a new piece," Mina said with a quiet smile while Annabel looked on in amazement. "All along- that creature was the Legendary..."

"Now I understand why the legends surrounding them were so sparse," Hapu realized. "There have been no recordings of Legendary Pokemon ever evolving, after all- or rather, of Ultra Beasts being called Legendary."

They set Lillie down as Asalie reached them, putting the flutes away in the meantime. "Nebby- or should I call you Lunala now?"

They seemed to wilt at the latter so the blonde continued, "Nebby, please take us to Ultra Space!"

 _ **"MAHINA-PIHA!"**_

A magenta eye opened on their forehead as Nebby took to the skies and the space distorted above them.

Their claws reached out and grabbed both girls before flying higher into the air towards the distortion before shooting right into it, the impact forcing the distortion in and leaving behind an Ultra Wormhole that they flew through as the last Asalie saw of earth were Hapu and Mina waving goodbye, Red and Blue looking incredulous and Annabel's unreadable expression.

Then everything went dark.

* * *

12/8/17- I edited the ending, as it didn't make sense that Hapu would just leave them there all alone. Also gave some development on Asalie's part before heading into the Breach.


	47. Chapter 47

Gigarot: Agreed- I've been spending the last week and a half storm-rolling through Ultra Sun so I wouldn't be spoiled and have finally finished :D

It's been a long time coming- not just for "getting the girl", but neither of them has secrets or the need to keep secrets from each other anymore.

* * *

They entered Ultra Space, nearly upside down thanks to the distortion. The air was thick and oppressive and cold as Nebby set them down gently. Asalie cringed at the sight Nihilego floating about and around large stalks of stone or vegetation, with faintly glowing crystals and lumps about. "Brr... I recognize this place."

"This is where the Ultra Wormhole took you?" Lillie asked, going to hold her hand.

"Yeah- it's still hazy, but this is the place," Asalie replied, squeezing back. "I'm surprised it's so pretty here."

"Yes," the blonde murmured before coughing a bit. "But the air- it's so thick, it almost hurts to breath…"

Asalie frowned at this, her breathing hadn't changed but she could taste the oppressiveness around them. "I didn't notice this before. Then again, I was a Zygarde and everything's hazy in that regard…"

Lillie pulled out one of the beast balls from her backpack. "I know Officer Anabel said that these have a higher capture rate for the Ultra Beasts... but are they really like Pokemon? I know that the ones the Guardian Deities helped capture were cordial enough."

"Well, they were ripped out of their homes without knowing why," Asalie pointed out. "I think any of them would be freaked out."

 **"MAHI..."**

They heard Nebby trill before the Lunala bent down to the ground, panting for breath. Lillie was by their side, looking over them worriedly. "Are you hurt from the trip? Tired? What can we do to help?"

"I think they just need to rest. They _did_ just evolve- kind of? Yeah, that's evolving," Asalie suggested, but still pulled out a full restore and max elixir. "I don't know if this'll work on a Legendary-Ultra Beast- Pokemon? But we can't not try."

Nebby did seem to perk up after being given both medicines before flying back up into the air. **"PI-I-I~"**

"Do you know what they're saying?" Asalie asked.

"I think they want to try and find the Cosmog themselves, to try and calm them down," Lillie deduced, making the Lunala extend their head forward in a nod.

"Thank you for bringing us here, Nebby," the blonde said gratefully. "Good luck."

Nebby nodded again and let out a low cry, making the wormhole shift slightly before they flew through it. The two girls watched as it disappeared and Asalie shivered again at the air around them. "Okay," she said. "Let's go."

* * *

As they explored the area of Ultra Space, Asalie was reminded of the video game she had played months ago- in that the locations resembled the bottom of the sea. Even the way that the Nihilego swayed about around them was reminiscent of Tentacool and Tentacruel. Even the air itself felt like water, from the oppressiveness barely allowing her to get in a full breath to the heaviness that made her body feel like it was being pushing into the ground.

 _If it's this bad for me..._

Asalie stole a glance at Lillie as she her chest heaved, trying to take in air before leaning against one of the columns as she began to cough. Asalie stopped and placed a hand on her back as the blonde kept coughing. "You gonna be okay? We can rest."

"We... have to-!" Lillie began before forcing down a cough, expression determined, "keep going. We don't... have much..."

"I get it," the brunette conceded as she let the blonde lean against her to support her weight. "Try not to-"

She stopped as she felt something splash against her ankle from behind and she knelt down to take a closer look at the liquid- her hand touched it briefly, frowning at the substance. It felt like there were two kinds of liquids, with one warm and starting to harden and the other thick and gooey. As she pulled her hand away, Asalie went cold at the sight of the red mixed with the lavender- almost transparent- goop.

"We're on the right track," the brunette said with a grimace. "I hope."

She rose to her feet and let Lillie lean against her as they continued on. They soon found more traces of blood and the goop from before and followed the trail.

 _"I'm the Team Skull Boss, an' not nobody or nuthin' scares me. Hell, I've lived my life makin' sure ever' last idiot I've set eyes on scared o' me!"_

"Asalie!" Lillie said, eyes locked ahead of them to the front of a small clearing.

 _"So list'n when Big Bad Guzma says..._ Y'ALL'RE STUPID!"

The brunette already brought out Pellimore before she followed the blonde's gaze and found Guzma sitting atop a smooth and stout column. His expression was strangely calm and balance well-kept considering he currently lacked his right arm.

"Shit-!" the brunette gasped when her mind caught up with her eyes- the stump was wrapped haphazardly with the thug's jacket, soaked dark red.

Guzma looked down on them before he shifted his weight and jumped right in front of them. For a moment he stood upright before stumbling backwards and landed on his back. Even in the state he was in, she was still deeply uncomfortable being in his presence and the brunette edged away from him while keeping an arm between him and Lillie, Pellimore taking a fighting stance with dark violet beginning to seep from her quills. Guzma gave a bark of laughter at this, eyes wide.

"Un- _fuckin'_ -believable-" he rasped out between his laughter. "Ya rip off ma arm, laughin' th' meantime- and the next time I see you, yer scared o' me?!"

He kept laughing before he coughed harshly from the oppressive air, the force making the jacket around the stump start to come loose. A moment later, Lillie was rushing to his side while pulling out a first aid kit. "Please try not to move," she said as she pulled out bandages and medicine.

Asalie cringed at the sight of the scarred stump and at the pus beginning to ooze out as Lillie began to wash the infected area and apply the medicine. "We need to get out soon if we want to stop the infection."

"So, how th' hell- did th' two of you get here?" Guzma asked, chest heaving as he tried to take in as much air as he could. "It took her- a shitton'a time- an' effort just to open th' first ones up."

The two girls exchanged glances at this, Plumeria's story still fresh in the brunette's mind before the white-haired thug kept going.

"This place is so dark- I can barely see- an' those beasts're everywhere I turn." His eyes grew wide with a deeply haunted expression. "I- I tried to catch one o' th' bastards an'…"

Asalie saw he was beginning to shake against his will, fists tightened. "I couldn't do jackshit- my mind, my body- they toyed with 'em both! It's like- I became somebody else!"

His hands came to clutch at his head like the aftermath of their draw in Malie City, the difference being that they clutched at his eyes to shield them from view. "Fuck, I was s'pposed- t' never feel like this again! I wasn't- s'pposed to be scared ever again! _I'm the big, bad boss of Team Skull!"_

Asalie's jaw set tightly at the fear and upset in his voice while Lillie finished bandaging the stump and gestured to back the way they came- she still stood by what she thought of the white-haired thug, but he was in no shape to be a threat... yet. "Nebby is back there- they evolved into the Legendary Pokemon Lunala and are capable of opening wormholes. They can bring you back to our world."

Guzma coughed, wiping at his eyes briefly before half-hardheartedly retorting, "An' just- what're you tellin' me fer? You tryin'- t' become- buddy-buddy with-" before descending into a coughing fit.

"Hell no," Asalie put in once his coughs died down. "But you can't exactly do parole if you're dead- you or your team." At that, she brandished the Poisonium-Z Plumeria had given her.

Guzma's eyes widened in recognition, stunned before averting his gaze from her as the corners of his eyes became wet. "Those morons-!"

"Mr. Guzma, I know this is hard for you," Lillie said, meeting his gaze, "but please, tell us where my mother is.

"Look princess-if ya know what's- good fer you, ya- stay th' hell 'way from her," Guzma said, expression serious and trying to hold fear back. "I know I said those bastards were scary- but that lady's… on a whole 'nother fuckin' level!"

"What do you mean?" the brunette asked, dread curdling in her stomach.

"'xactly what I said, Asa." His eyes locked forward to the right of them and the two girls followed his gaze.

Lillie gave a gasp of horror as her hand came up to cover her mouth while Asalie reeled back at the sight of Goodra's corpse. The dragon type was covered with what looked like rope burns around it's battered and pale body, it's expression one of horror and betrayal.

"Soon as she found one- she released that poor sucker- left 'em at th' tender mercies of..." Guzma cut himself off, eyes locked above.

"She's long gone- lost her damn mind over these bastards," Guzma went on, shaking his head as it thunked against the ground. "There's no talkin- no reasonin' with 'her."

"She's just… _gone."_

But Lillie only shook her head at this, expression determined. "That doesn't change anything- I'm still going to find her!" she declared.

Asalie didn't move from where she was kneeling over Goodra's corpse, hand brushing against the lavender goo that mixed in with the blood. Words failed her completely at the callousness that had been described to her. How could she have done this, to the Pokemon who had fought for her sake? In her mind at this moment, it didn't matter if this was Lusamine's own actions or being influenced by the bolster serum- this was something Asalie couldn't condone.

She turned back to see Lillie helping Guzma get back onto his feet. The stump was freshly bandaged and the blonde had draped the jacket was draped over his shoulders- he seemed to be in less pain and more than a bit resigned. She also remembered what he had said before regarding said arm.

"Di- did I really...?" she rasped, gesturing to his arm.

"Ya really- don't remember what happn'd?" Guzma groaned, half in pain half in exasperation. "Ya turned into that dog-thing- an' I was th' only thing keepin' you from bitin' her head off."

"I... see," was all the brunette could say to this and Guzma's expression couldn't have been flatter.

She moved to get back on her feet before her hand brushed against something small and see-through. Groping a bit, she found that it was a blue contact lens. Blinking in confusion, she pocketed it without much thought and got back onto her feet before heading over to them.

"We don't know when Nebby's coming back, it might not be safe to leave him alone," the blonde said.

"Okay," the brunette said with resignation and took the white-haired thug's side to keep him up and take some of the weight off of Lillie. "Are any of your Pokemon-?"

"If they were, I wouldn't be lettin' ya anywhere near me," he groused.

The grass owl's eyes were narrow as she hovered over the two, ready to attack if the white-haired thug tried anything. Guzma only rolled his eyes weakly at the Decidueye before asking, "What th' hell- was 'zat anyways? After that Arbok-thing was hit- 'slike you went crazy- and not just from turnin' inta- that dog-thing. 'Zat- haf'ta do- with those scales?"

The brunette's mouth went dry, debating whether or not to even answer but Guzma just shrugged before she could decide, "Doesn't- really matter now, does it."

They continued forward until they reached a circular clearing. Nihilego were especially plentiful here as they swayed about between the gray, sickly light filtering in from above like sun beams. In the center Lusamine sat on a stone, smiling as she beckoned the Nihilego to her as they floated just out of reach.

She was a far cry from the elegant woman she had appeared as on earth. Her complexion was gray and sickly as her body twitched erratically, her hair dye had begun to fade away and revealed thin black hair that hung limp against her shoulders and back and one of her eyes was no longer peridot green but dull amber.

Asalie shivered at the sight of the woman, torn internally- her instincts screamed to run, her mind still ran over what she knew and her heart felt torn in two at being used and still wanting to believe that what had happened was a bad dream. But seeing Lillie's resolute expression even as her hands trembled against Guzma's back and her fingertips kept her there.

"Behold, marvel at the world of my Ultra Beasts. The world where all that exists is the love between Nihilego and myself," she crooned, voice thin and intoxicated before one of the Ultra Beasts nuzzled against her and she sighed in pleasure. "So beautiful... so delicious... this is a true paradise!"

She reluctantly withdrew and her face contorted in rage as she turned to them. "And yet the two of you insist on continuously pestering me! Who told you you could come here to this perfect, beautiful world that should house only myself and my beasts?! I am sick to death of you both, through and through!"

"Think about what you're saying!" Lillie said. "What about Mr. Guzma? Don't you care what happens to him?"

Lusamine's expression became blank and she didn't say a word. Asalie winced at Guzma's upper expression shadowed as his head dropped, trying his hardest to hold back tears. "Just leave already," she said coldly, "I don't need any of you, not any more."

Her eyes widened with manic glee as she gestured to the Nihilego surrounding them. "Are you blind as well as deaf? You must be, if you can't comprehend the beautiful world you've transgressed into!"

Her arms came to wrap around her torso as the Nihilego began to faze in and out above and around them. "After all these years, after so many sacrifices, I've finally reached my true paradise- a world filled with only the things that I love!" She gave a barking laugh. "And you would intrude here only to ask me to return to that hell?! Even you cannot be that stupid!"

"Even if this place doesn't have Mohn?" Asalie asked.

Lusamine froze at this and the Nihilego floated ominously around them, seemingly more agitated. The woman's hands clenched into trembling fists as her head bowed down, upper face shadowed. The brunette leaned in a bit, half hoping that it had hit home and that they could end this here and now.

"I don't care if you're my child or not, nor if you were loyal to me, nor if you are the rarest creature in both worlds!" Her face was contorted in cold hatred as she declared, "If you are not beautiful enough to be worthy of my love and time, then I don't need you! All I need to exist in my world are the things that I want to have with me! _Everything else is nothing but a bother!"_

Asalie grimaced at this. _She can't even remember why she came here in the first place, and there's not much chance of her caring if Mohn can see her or not,_ she thought. _Guzma was right, she is too far gone-_

 **SLAP!**

The sound of a palm meeting flesh snapped Asalie from her thought and she blinked in confusion as she took in the scene- Lillie was standing before Lusamine, hand trembling while the woman stared in astonishment as her fingers came up to touch the hand-shaped mark on her cheek.

Asalie's jaw dropped like a stone, especially at the angry expression on Lillie's face.

"You talk about how you're so sick of everything- _well I'm sick of YOU, mother!"_ she shouted. "Sick of how you're always only thinking of yourself and what you want, never caring if it hurts someone! You do nothing but take and take and force others to give and give until there's nothing left, and then you throw them away- not even your family or your Pokemon are exempt from this!"

She set her hands on her hips, eyes ablaze. "Children are not just things that belong to their parents! Pokemon aren't things that a trainer can so what they please with! _I_ am alive- _Nebby_ is alive! We are not things for you to collect and just discard when you get bored with us! That is terrible, mother! _You. Are. TERRIBLE!"_

The brunette's lips twitched into an amazed and proud grin at the scene while Lusamine blinked in almost owlish surprise as her hand massaged her cheek. "So you have grown a spine after all- almost pleasing to look at," she remarked softly. "You were far more adorable when you were younger- at least then you listened to what I said without question."

She sneered nastily as she drew herself up to her full height, "But you changed. I can scarcely believe such an ugly brat came from me-"

 _"Never call her that again!"_ Asalie shouted, throwing caution to the wind even with Guzma hanging off of her- if Lillie could dress down the woman's actions before her despite what she had been put through, so could she!

"You're the one who's ugly, clinging to anything that'll make you happy and blocking out everything else!" she kept going, internally screaming as the woman directed her attention to her. "Stringing together what you think will complete you like a rosary instead than facing your problems head on and trying to solve them- _Lillie's stronger and more beautiful than you could ever hope to be!"_

And she might have been borrowing the phrase, but it still more than fit the context of the situation at hand. Just admitting that made her chest flare with warmth and pride, especially when she saw how Lillie smiled at her. Guzma rolled his eyes weakly at the scene while Lusamine's eyes flickered between the two girls.

"I see now- I get it! Asalie Nalani..."

The woman's expression contorted in hatred and the brunette flinched at the vitriol directed at her. _"You hateful little trainer! You wretched little tramp!"_ she snared. _"You're the one who turned Lillie against me! You're the one who made her ugly! And now you dare to intrude upon this world meant only for Nihilego and myself?!"_

She held a beast ball, her knuckles white with the force she was using. "With Nihilego's power, I will show you all how mistaken you were to come here!"

With that, the woman threw the ball up and released the Nihilego. It floated above her before Lusamine took it by the tentacles and pulled it down over here in an overhead embrace. The two contorted before sickly gray light blinded the three of them momentarily and Asalie winced as she ducked her head down to shield her eyes.

When the light died down, the brunette heard a strange shifting of weight and a gurgling noise. She looked up and blinked in astonishment- Lusamine wore the Nihilego like it was armor, her hair now truly black and both eyes amber while her legs hung out from it's head. It reminded her far too much of one of the bosses from her games.

 _Lusalego? Nihimine?_ the part of her mind that wasn't frozen at what she was witnessing mused with dissonant curiosity. _Motherbeast?_

An unholy screech filled the air from the Motherbeast and broke off the thought while the Nihilego absconded the scene. Asalie could feel Guzma shaking against her and Lillie stared in horror at what was her mother had turned herself into. Pellimore screeched as she took to the air, releasing spirit shackle at the creature in an attempt to pin the appendages down. But the tentacles came up and either knocked the arrows away or caught them and snapped them in half- even the few that did strike the main body didn't touch Lusamine and were stuck in the head. She- it- _they_ shook with laughter as the arrows dissolved a moment later. Asalie saw ultra balls fall from the tentacles and they burst open, revealing Lusamine's remaining Lilligant, Milotic, Mismagius, Clefable and Bewear.

"Lillie, take Guzma and get out of here!" Asalie barked as she brought out the rest of her team. "I'll hold them off!"

The blonde obeyed and took the white-haired thug off of her before pulling him away. The Motherbeast hovered above them and Asalie swallowed the lump in her throat as her fists clenched. She didn't know when Nebby was going to come back or if Lillie and Guzma could find somewhere safe in this place, but she'd be damned if she let this... _thing_ try and stop them.

 _I don't have an inkling on Nihilego's typing save poison, but I know her team's weaknesses,_ the brunette thought, eyes sharp as she surveyed the power that came from Lsuamine's team and their bloodthirsty expressions.

She shivered as she felt the same adrenaline from before wash over her. Knowing why this energy had such a profound affect on her made her blood race and turn cold but she forced herself to keep her head and not panic. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a few breaths as a plan came to her.

"Pell and Bishop, take care of the Milotic and Clefable!" she barked. "Ifrit, Titus and Kumonga, the Mismagius, Lilligant and Bewear! Help each other once you finish your fight! Ruby, with me!"

The Decidueye flew to the Milotic, dodging the ice beams as she sent down spirit shackle to keep it from fleeing or helping it's teammates. The Magnezone quickly paralyzed Clefable before firing down flash cannon to keep it pinned. Mismagius sent down a volley of shadow balls and the Magmorter fired flame burst to counter while trying to get a clear shot. Lilligant and the Alolan Ninetales danced around each other as they tried to land their attacks but their graceful movements allowed neither to gain advantage. The Araquanid pushed back against Bewear even as the bear-like Pokemon forced him back, his appendages digging against the ground.

The Motherbeast lunged for Asalie before Ruby pulled her out of the way, supporting the brunette against her shoulder and her arm under her legs to keep her from falling as she leaped out of the way of the appendages. "Focus on keeping out of her way for now," she said in a low voice and the Midnight Lycanroc nodded.

The tentacles lashed out towards them and Ruby leaped out of the way, keeping on her toes while trying to keep Asalie from falling or getting caught while the tentacles smashed apart the columns and ground. Asalie kept her gaze on the creature, looking for anything resembling a weakness while examining them. Their tentacles and head were larger and jet black with an eye and pointed end on each appendage, save four which had claws and were held aloft. Lusamine's expression was open with manic glee as her hair swirled inside the head and her legs hung limply.

 _I can't tell which one is in control._

But she could tell that the appendages with claws were linked together by two joints and that the eyes on the tentacles not joined didn't seem to actually see. Even the eyes that did seem functional, Asalie was already thinking of ways to to render them blind. Her eyes fell on the columns skirting on the edge of the right of the cavern and murmured her plan to Ruby. The Midnight Lycanroc looked uneasy but climbed up it and allowed the brunette to stand atop it.

 _This will either be the perfect distraction, or my untimely death,_ she thought, fists clenched tightly. _Or it'll be both._

The Motherbeast leered with glee as they hovered to meet the brunette, knocking Ruby aside before looming over her. Asalie shuddered at the tentacles mere inches from her and the manic glee on Lusamine's face. Unbidden, the memories of Astrid as she hovered above her overlapped with the woman before her- it was the eyes, wide with desperate desire, that bored into her vision.

 _You really don't remember your husband anymore, do you?_ she thought, letting herself feel pity for a moment. _Sacrificing so much and you can't even remember why..._

 **"How amusing,"** the creature spoke- it wasn't Lusamine's voice but it was unmistakably female. **"Giving yourself up to save her and those beneath you? We have never been given the impression you were suicidal."**

The brunette shuddered at the sickeningly sweet way they pronounced her name and forced her feet to stay rooted- if she tried to take a step back, she'd fall and either die or be caught by the tentacles. "I've been... surprising a lot of people lately," she said, and it certainly wasn't untrue.

Lusamine's face sneered. **"She would dare scold us, but would balk on doing the same with you- such hypocrisy."**

"What are you talking about?"

 **"When trainers catch Pokemon but either cannot use them or find them wanting, they remove them from their party as they please. In that sense, we-"**

 _"- are nothing alike!"_ Asalie cut the Motherbeast off vehemently. "I can't speak for all trainers, but I can damn well speak for myself!"

She didn't avert her eyes to her team, that would give away the plan, but just imagining them all gave her a powerful sense of pride and love in them- Pellimore roosting while watching over her, Bishop going forward despite their fear, Ruby always one of the first to her side, Kumonga ever stalwart, Ifrit's confidence and Titus always upbeat.

"I don't display the Pokemon I catch like they're trophies. I don't store them away and forget about them. I don't make them do anything they don't want to-"

Goodra's corpse flashed before her eyes.

 _"-and I sure as hell don't leave them to die just so I have a free space for another Pokemon!"_ she finished, fists clenched tightly.

"We're not master and servant, we're friends, comrades, family! I don't just trust them with my life, I trust them to make sure I don't fall! _Whatever similarities you think we have, they mean absolutely nothing to our differences!"_

The Motherbeast seemed taken back at this and Asalie grinned as she spat, "You'd be amazed how many times I've heard that lines in the video games I've played. After a while, it gets _old."_

 **"I hope you enjoyed your last words, and whatever satisfaction they've brought,"** the Motherbeast glowered, humor gone as the tentacles lunged for her and Asalie let herself fall backwards to avoid them.

She briefly remembered the sensation of when she had fallen from the bridge after Nebby activated their power so many months ago and Guzma kicking her off of the mansion's roof barely a few days ago. She was all too aware that this could end in her either dead or crippled and yet the knowledge didn't scare her.

Though it did help that Titus's extrasensory had caught her and lowered her back onto the ground safely. The Motherbeast turned to attack only for spirit shackles's arrows to pierce the eyes of the tentacles, causing jet black liquid to squirt out. The Motherbeast screeched before scald shot straight into their face- Lusamine writhed inside, a burn apparent from the smoke rising from the injury. Their tentacles thrashed out furiously only for flame burst to burn out of the eyes and psychic to force them down. A moment later, globs of steel-strong silk stuck onto their tentacles, tying them together tightly between the columns while stone edge burstout and trapped the head between stalactites.

"Thank you- I did," Asalie said with a grin as she got back on her feet and picked up the ultra balls- Lusamine's team were in no shape to fight and she quickly returned them to their poke-balls, stuffing them into her bag quickly.

 _Her team's been defeated, she's been immobilized- all that's left is to wait for the others and try and pry those two apart_ she thought with triumph as she got back on her feet. "All right everyone! Use-"

 _ **"AAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"**_

Her grin faltered when the Motherbeast let out a roar that shook the entire cavern before furiously struggling against the bindings and ice. The tentacles writhed and coiled as the eyes continued to bleed and the claws tore at the silk holding them captive. They weren't able to do much as the head being trapped between the stalactites didn't allow them much leeway.

Asalie gave a sigh of relief before her vision went violet. She blinked in confusion before her eyes exploded in agony and she gasped in surprise as she covered her eyes, finding herself covered in hot, acid-like liquid.

 _Veno-shock-!_

She could hear her Pokemon fighting and their pained shouts and the sound of splattering that she could hear faintly sizzling. She knew if she rubbed at the poison, if would only get it inside her eyes but she couldn't fight blind when they were in battle. She kept her eyes shut tightly and tried to push off the poison on her face, hands tingling in pain from the exercise.

 _Okay- as much as the experience was terrifying, I really wouldn't mind being able to turn back into Zygarde!_ the brunette thought as she struggled to see, her vision swimming with spots and pain.

The next moment, her torso was being clutched to the point that her breath was driven out of her body and she could feel the ominous creak of her ribs cut before being yanked into the air. She could barely make out Lusamine's snarling face, half from fury half from pain through the spots and blurs before she was in the air again and hit the wall. Pain exploded against her back and arm as she slid and hit the ground. She could hear Pellimore's panicked squawk before she heard the tentacles hit her body and the thud against the ground.

She tried to raise her hands only for white hot pain to engulf not just her left arm but the shoulder, leaving her the one arm that was trapped painfully under her body. She tried to roll over but that only made the pain worse and panic was starting to overcome her at the sounds of her Pokemon's cries of pain.

 _Hang on, please!_ she thought desperately forcing her legs to shift to a kneeling position. _I swear- I'll get to you-_

She was suddenly yanked up by her leg, claws digging into the flesh painfully before she was in the air again. She didn't hit a wall but bounced against the ground- she twisted her body despite the agony and difficulty so she wouldn't hit her head and slammed into the back of a column. She heard rather than felt the crack in her back and she paled at the loss of feeling in her legs.

 _Come on, come on!_ Her teeth gnashed against each other, tasting copper as the canines dug into the gums too harshly. _Get up-_ get up!

She tried to get up but her legs refused to obey her- there was no pain, no sensation below her waist but she tried to force them to move regardless. She could hear Ifrit's roar get cut off as several blows landed on her body and Titus's agonized wail before Ruby's howl of rage. Panic flared even stronger and the part of her body that she couldn't feel was white-hot with pain, refusing her movement.

 _Please, please, let me move, just for a little while,_ she begged, tears sliding down her face and sizzling against the venoshock's poison, makeing her cheek burn from the contact. _Let me get up- let me save them!_

Her hands groped at the ground, trying to give her leverage to rise, struggling to hold back the sob building in her throat- if she started crying now, she wouldn't stop. Then, her fingertips brushed against something warm and solid. The panic receded just a bit and she strained her arm out before her hand clutched around-

 _!_

Asalie could have screamed in relief and triumph at the feeling of her Z-Ring before blindly jamming it back onto her wrist. She fumbled at her bag, panic briefly setting in when she remembered that all of her Z-Crystals were back in Aether before she remembered the Poisonium-Z. She forced herself to calm down as she groped for the pocket she put the purple crystal inside, vision still spotty and painful.

 _Which one- which one can use it?_ she thought, desperately trying t sort through her scrambled mind before remembering.

"KUMONGA!" she screamed for him over the sounds of battle, beginning to drag herself towards the lightest part of her vision.

She heard the Araquanid call back and she hoped from the way his legs dug into the ground that he would find her. The Motherbeast was laughing now and Asalie heard Bishop screech before she heard an ominous _clang!_ and Ifrit shouting something in a panic. She clawed briefly at the ground as she pulled herself across it, her legs sprawled awkwardly against it.

 **"Scree!"** Pellimore screeched and Asalie heard spirit shackle being used again as Kumonga sounded closer this time around. "Kumo- _nga!"_ she called again, arms shaking from the exertion and agony.

As her hand rose again, it stopped against Kumonga's leg and Asalie gasped with relief, forcing back the tears and mucus beginning to gather. "Scald on me," she gasped as she tossed her bag to the side, cutting off Kumonga's protest. _"Now!"_

She physically tensed but the scald felt the same as the shower-head earlier that day did even when she turned it full blast. She forced her eyes open even when it caused her agony and she could feel the poison washing off of her. It stopped a few moments later but Asalie's eyes were already feeling better and she groped for her bag to wipe them dry.

Spots still decorated her vision but she could make out what was happening now. Titus and Ifrit- both covered in bruises and the Alolan Ninetales sporting a bleeding scar on his side- were lying in a heap while Pellimore, Bishop and Ruby still found off the Motherbeast, albeit with several more injuries- Ruby's left arm hung limp, Bishop had several hard dents in their hull and Pellimore's feathers were sickly with poison.

"Can you- still fight?" she asked Kumonga, the Araquanid nodding despite his injuries. "All right- get me on your back, I can't..."

The bug/water spider obeyed, helping Asalie up onto him. Her hands fumbled for a moment but found the clasp of the mystic water around Kumonga's neck. _It'll a poison type z-move and I'm more than sure that thing's a poison type, but there're no abilities that let direct poison attacks heal a Pokemon,_ she thought as she unhooked the mystic water. _If nothing else, we can distract it!_

"Get back there- hurry!" she urged him and Kumonga scurried for the clearing.

The Motherbeast's body was covered in wounds, burns- both from fire and ice- and several of it's tentacles had been crushed into uselessness, hanging limply with only two still working. Lusamine clutched at her head where a gash was on the Motherbeast's head and ended, blooding seeping from her eye. When she saw Asalie atop Kumonga, the Motherbeast drew itself up to it's full height.

 **"KILL... KILL... _KILL..."_** the Motherbeast rasped, more alien with Lusamine's tone mixing in.

 _Let me do this- just this one move,_ she begged her body, pushing herself up by her elbows. _Even if I never move again- let me do this!_

As she finished this thought, Asalie saw the scales on her arms begin to retreat up them and she saw the scales on her legs to the same- she could feel them now, converging on her back. Pain exploded there and in her legs but she could feel them again, and she forced herself onto her knees. Pushing up with her feet and her arms, Asalie wobbled on Kumonga's back and her hand came up to the Z-Ring-

 _Oh shit, I don't know the pose,_ she suddenly remembered before her entire body went cold. _OH SHIT, I DON'T KNOW THE POSE!_

Her panic must have shown, her team was already trying to run to her side as the Motherbeast floated straight for her. Asalie didn't have time to duck, her body was frozen as she could only watch as it came closer and she knew her team wasn't going to make it in time. Yet with her death right in front of her, all Asalie could feel was embarrassment at herself and how she was going to-

 **"MAHINA-PI-I-I-I-I~!"**

\- watch as several bright blue beams of light struck the Motherbeast right in the face, driving it backwards. Asalie looked back to see Nebby hovering above them, Lillie clutching to their back and Guzma strapped on tightly- the beams of light came from the third eye on Nebby's forehead, flickering between red and blue as the beams forced the Motherbeast back. It roared one last time before light flashed around them again.

Asalie winced at the abuse her eyes were going through but still made out the Nihilego and Lusamine separating and collapsing onto the ground in a heap. The woman weakly tried to reach out for the Nihilego, grabbing one of it's tentacles. "We can do it- we can beat them- we just have to-" she rasped before the Nihilego suddenly descended.

But rather than attack, they surrounded the Nihilego that Lusamine had fused with and one of them sent out a move that looked like rock tomb, destroying the beast ball. The woman stared dumbstruck at this and back to the Ultra Beast, now hidden from view with the Nihilego situated protectively around it.

At that point, Asalie felt a great tiredness come over her- she moved to kneel only for her legs to spasm, causing her to fall sideways off of Kumonga. She heard Lillie cry her name before everything went dark.

* * *

Apologies for the wait- I've been playing USUM between work shifts and **The Depression** saps at my muse even now ^^;

BUT THE END IS NIGH- seriously, this is the second-to-last chapter. I also edited the last part of the previous chapter, so give that a gander when you get the chance.


	48. Chapter 48- END

Gigarot: It's been a point in my story for a long time, because Lusamine just seems the type to imitate those she admires for beauty- and because of her love for Mohn, she tried to emulate him by making herself look more like him.

I never saw Asalie as a type that would battle for fame and she already had disdain for the league, so there's little to no chance of her challenging it.

Guest: Okay?

Guest 2: Truth be told, I completely forgot about the Zygarde Cores until you brought them up ._.

* * *

When Asalie came to once more, she had a feeling she had missed several things. From the way her body creaked when she sat up to how blurry her vision- particularly in her right eye- had become even when she wiped away the sleep that had built between her eyelids. She found her father sleeping beside her hospital bed and saw the crumpled blankets and chairs of others that had been there before.

Unlike the last time she woke up, she remembered what had happened to lead up to her becoming unconscious- escaping Aether with Lillie and Anabel, meeting Team Skull and Plumeria's plea, Lillie's confession at the Altar of the Skye, heading to Ultra Space and finding Guzma and Lusamine.

After a moment's hesitation, she gently shook her father and brother awake. When Ashwin saw her awake, several emotions flickered across his face- relief, joy, anger and betrayal. That was when Asalie also remembered their last time together and knew that her father was completely justified in the latter two emotions. He held her to him like she would disappear if he let go before karate-chopping her forehead half-heartadly.

"I'd say you were in for the grounding of your life, but I'm too happy you're alive," he rasped, tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said whole-heartadly.

"Sorry implies you feel shame- do you feel shame in locking me and your brother so you'd be able to go off to an alien world?"

"... yes?"

He smirked weakly, brushing away his tears before doing the same to her. "Good answer."

Asalie could only nod, smile trembling- she'd take any punishment now that she was back with her family. "How long have I been out?"

"A week- you've been healing ever since you were brought here."

Asalie closed her eyes at this news, feeling her stomach plummet. _I wonder how much I missed this time around..._

She heard the door slam open and saw Astin there in a loose t-shirt and pants, the black and green scales barely visible on his arms and neck. He scooped her up into a tight hug, nearly crushing the air out of her but she couldn't help the surprised laugh at the pout on his face as he whined, "Next time you go to another dimension, I get shot-gun, got it?"

The laugh became higher-pitched as she slapped his arm. "You make it sound like it was some epic battle!" she gasped as she finally pried herself free.

"You're not off the hook either, conspiring to let her go off like that," their father stated, arms crossed at the young man. "I don't care how old you are, I can still ground you."

Astin ducked with an incredulous- and somewhat fearful- look and Asalie laughed as more tears blurred her eyes and she hugged them both to her tightly. So much weight had fallen off of her back and having her family by her side only made more fall off.

Then Astrid's face flashed before her eyes and halted her relief, her arms becoming weaker before sliding off of Ashwin. "Did you really have no idea what she was doing?" she asked.

"No, but I still let it happen- I was too afraid to investigate and you both suffered for it," the brunet said, head bowing. "I don't know what was going through her head or why she did what she did..."

Asalie looked down at her legs, the memory of the fight with Lusamine flickering through her mind- by all rights, she should have been killed or crippled by the attacks she had suffered through. Yet she could move her body all right and she still had her sight despite suffering a direct attack on them and a poison-type move no less.

She began to remember the injuries she had sustained through her journey- from the cuts after Ruby evolved to Plumeria's beating, all of them had healed in an absurdly short amount of time, leaving her no worse for the wear. Part of her was furious that she was finding something good about the woman who was supposed to protect them turn her into something inhumane, but the other part was deeply relieved.

* * *

When the doctors arrived and examined her, Asalie learned that there had been damage to her right eye that the Zygarde cells had been unable to fully heal and that whether or not her vision would return to it's original state was unknown- she was still able to see but the blur that accompanied everything to the right of her was disconcerting.

Once they had allowed her to leave the medical wing, she and her father and brother walked out to the lobby where others had been waiting for her to wake up.

Lillie reached her first and Asalie's brain briefly short-circuited when the blonde pulled her into a kiss. She had read of how those in love experienced it, but now she could appreciate how different and similar it was to what it read. Of course the moment was ruined by Kukui's cheering and Lillie withdrew, face bright red. The brunette smiled weakly at her and looked at the others that were there.

Kukui looked exhausted but he was still smiling- and actually wearing a shirt, albeit a loose tanktop. "Good to see you back with us, Asalie," he said, trying to fight back exhaustion.

"Good... good to be back," Asalie got out, feeling the blood still swirling in her head before she felt a piercing gaze on her and turned to the source.

Gladion was staring at from where he was sitting in a wheelchair, looking better than when she last saw him. The look on his face was one that Astin wore whenever he was in the vicinity of anyone that he believed wronged his sister and the brunette felt some of the blood recede from her head and cold fill her veins at the look he was giving her. Lillie met his eyes and Asalie felt some satisfaction at the blonde holding her hand reassuringly. Finally, Gladion gave them both a curt nod while Hau patted his shoulder.

"Hau!" Asalie exclaimed at seeing the green-haired boy, relief flooding through her.

He was in a wheelchair just like Gladion, bandages wrapped around his head and arms with some gauze taped to his cheek and over his right eye and was in a wheelchair, his left leg in a cast. He smiled at seeing her but Asalie saw it was forced and it seemed sad almost.

Catching up with them, she learned that they had been able to fend off the Ultra Beast that came through- currently codenamed UB Burst- and Hau had survived the fall thanks to the Conservation Pokemon cushioning him. The International Police had been stretched thin but the kahunas, trainers and Tapus fought with them to keep the wormholes contained after they began to appear enmasse- there had even been reports of them opening up outside of Alola.

Nebby had taken to the skies after they had returned to earth. Lillie's voice shook but her smile was genuine.

Officers Storm and Compass were both still in intensive care after the UN Burst attacked- both had yet to awaken. Moira and Daniel were still being treated for their wounds and exposure to the bolster serum respectively, as were the other employees that were hurt or had taken said substance. Annabel was all but forced to rest by one Officer Looker after she had escaped her hospital room in the first place ( _So that's what happened when we met,_ Asalie thought with a sweat-drop) and recover properly. Lusamine was in quarantine at the moment but the only thing keeping her out of police custody was her condition while Guzma was in a similar situation while he nearly suffered from infection from the stump of his arm and in case he brought something back from Ultra Space.

"We'll also be trying to extract the bolster serum from mother as well," Lillie finished. "It'd be best to get it out of her system as quickly as possible."

"I suppose..." Asalie said with a frown- it didn't feel right that she was being treated like a victim when she had hurt so many others.

The blonde put a hand on her shoulder gently. "I know that it's not just the serum that's the problem- my mother has always had a controlling nature and our father disappearing didn't help things. She needs to understand what she did was wrong and this is the best way to do that."

"If it gets me to see you scold her like you did before again," the brunette admitted, grinning at the memory and it's catharsis.

Lillie stifled a chuckle and shook her head at Asalie. "I never thought I'd laugh at someone's spite, but you found a way."

"Arceus, when you phrase it that way..."

Their chuckles were brought to a halt when Sina, Dexio and a nervous looking man with light brown hair and labcoat arrived.

* * *

"I've been brought up to speed," Bill said, hooking up his machinery while trying to keep his hands steady as he typed on his hooked-up laptop. "We shouldn't have any problems."

They set up two cylinder-shaped containers that were connected by a tube covered with and small glass intervals. The container containing the remaining Zygarde cells was brought in and hooked up to the transporter.

"The Zygarde cells have calmed down now they've healed you so it's safe to try this," Sina smiled with a thumbs-up.

Asalie nodded absently and her father gave her hand a squeeze while Astin smiled gently at her. Lillie gave her a firm nod and she returned the gesture before stepping inside. The only light was from the door and it showed the others looking to her with anticipation. She watched as Bill typed into his laptop and Sina and Dexio hooking the container to the other side with a long and thick hose.

Then a humming filled her ears and Asalie felt the same sensation as when the cells had healed her spine- they were squirming inside of her and she wasn't sure if it felt unpleasant or n-

 _!-!-!-!-!-!_

* * *

Asalie blinked in confusion from where she lying back in her hospital bed, her body in agony. Ashwin, Astin and Lillie were all by her side and she winced as she sat back up. She looked down at her arms where the scales had returned.

"Since this happened with far fewer cells in her body, it'd be dangerous to try with you," Bill told Astin gently, "but we can still take out the Ultra Beast bits."

"Why didn't it work?"

"Well it did- we were able to take out the Ultra Beast bits, but that was because they were in smaller quantity and foreign enough so that it wouldn't hurt your body to take them out," Sina explained.

"This experiment confirmed it wasn't just Zygarde's cells Astrid Nalani implanted in you two," Dexio said gravely. "She must have used a Zygarde Core- a part of Zygarde's literal and figurative brain."

"Wh-what does that mean?"

"It means that the pain you experienced was from us trying to separate a Zygarde Core from your body. At this point, it's been apart of you for so long that the Core believes that this is it's natural body, and separating the cells from you would have been like trying to amputate a limb or rip out a vital organ for you," Sina explained. "Long story short... the Core and cells won't leave your body for anything less than death, and considering the regenerative abilities you've already showcased..."

Her brother nodded quietly to this and Ashwin pulled them both close. Asalie didn't know how to feel- she was happy the Ultra Beast bits were gone but the Zygarde cells- and Core apparently- were there to stay. They had been a great help to her but they were also a reminder of what Astrid had done to her- a reminder of what ended her life.

"We'll take care of what comes next," Dexio told her father, who could only nod and whisper, "Thank you."

"Take care of what?"

Astin's upper expression shadowed as he left the room, breath hitching as he repressed a sob. Ashwin's eyes closed tightly as Sina spoke, "Zygarde is a Legendary Pokemon of balance that lives in Kalos. To have it gone would destabilize the region. If we had been able to extract it from you and Astin, things would have been fine. But in case we weren't able to..."

"Dad?" Her voice wavered, her body going cold as she hoped desperately that he wouldn't say what she thought he was going to.

"I'm so sorry, star. We leave for Kalos in a week."

* * *

"You can still come visit once things settle down- they can't keep you from that," Gladion assured her over Hau's bawling. Lillie was by her side whenever she wasn't checking up on Lusamine. Kekoa did the same with Astin. Ashwin resigned and was given a check four times his normal fare for compensation. Kukui assured her that she would always be welcome to move into his and Burnet's loft when she would next visit.

Asalie could only nod numbly to this. She would then leave for the next four days in order to bring her Pokemon to their homes- either to say goodbye to their families, or say goodbye to her. "There's no negotiation in me leaving, but... but not for you," she told them all. "I won't hold it against you if you choose to stay. You've more than earned that right."

* * *

Pellimore and Masou didn't exchange any greetings but merely nodded in understanding, Kukui ruffling her head with pride and sorrow. **"Scree,"** she murmured as she nuzzled Asalie's hair with her beak, answer clear.

 _ **"Zzzzli-e-e-h-e-h-e-e!"**_ Rotom wailed as they hugged her, electricity crackling against her skin but barely leaving a mark.

* * *

Bishop greeted the school children of the school, Joseph, Mia, Hiromi and Joey especially happy to see them and Asalie. After she recounted her jounrye- albeit leaving the more sensitive information out- the Magnezone wandered about the school yard, Pellimore's eyes never leaving their form. But once they finished, they returned to her side with a happy air about them.

 **"Bzzrt!"** they declared and the school children cheered behind them- the grass owl beamed alongside Asalie.

* * *

Ruby roamed around Ten Carat Hill, eyes solemn as she looked around. Asalie smiled a little when they reached the clearing they had met in. Titus looked at her with concern and worry from where she was perched on the lip of the meadow's rocky walls before she skillfully climbed back down to them. She looked at Asalie closely before her teeth sank in around her bag playfully.

"Really?!" Asalie half snapped, half laughed.

 **"Raf-af-af-af!"** Ruby laughed with her, giving her a long, wet lick up the side of her cheek.

* * *

Kumonga's return to Brooklet Hill nearly gave Asalie a heart attack when several Dewpiders had scurried up to see him, clamoring around him in excitement. They were led to an enormous and ancient female Araquanid who nuzzled Kumonga. _ **"ARAAAAA..."**_

When he looked upon them all and he turned back to Asalie, the brunette couldn't tell what he was thinking. But then the mother Araquanid stepped over to her and the brunette forced herself not to cower before the gigantic water spider before she rested the water bubble around her head against Asalie's forehead, eyes glittering gently.

* * *

Ifrit grinned as she entered Wela Volcano Part to the amazement of the Pokemon there as they swarmed around her. Fletchling and Fletchinder roosted on the rocks, Cubone and Kangahskan wandered over and the Magby and odd Magmar could only stare in jealousy at her final form.

She spent exactly two minutes like this before sauntering back over to the team, trying to look bored before ruffling Asalie's hair- and causing a bit of a scare when one of her strands caught on fire.

* * *

Titus didn't even glance at Mt. Lanakila but did venture forth on Ruby's behest. But the Alolan Ninetales barely seemed to explore it- he found no other creatures that looked like friend or families and Asalie felt like she was missing something. Titus came back to her side, uncharacteristically silent before Ruby gently nuzzled his side.

* * *

The trial captains and kahunas had given her their condolences, as they were filled in on what had happened and had even put together a small get-together in her honor in Iki Town. It held just her, her family, Kekoa, Lillie and a determined Hau, despite him still with a broken leg.

"Of all things, I would never have imagined such a creature would fuel your determination- it was certainly a sight to behold!" Ilima praised her, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"I have to say, it really shocked me to see that the first time!" Mallow laughed as she showcased the seventh course of the food she made. "But now I know it's not too dangerous!"

"Indeed- to think that the power you wielded was that of a legendary Pokemon," Lana mused.

Acerola gave her the books on Alolan lore for her to read further into and Sophocles gave her tickets for something he was working on called "Festival Plaza". Hapu assured her that she would always be welcome back on Poni Island, whether to fight or to simply spend time together. Kahuna Olivia gave her a case of every evolutionary stone recorded and Kahuna Hala promised that she would be welcome to Alola whenever she may return.

Her head would have spun in circles from so many people around her but she was already overwhelmed enough and slipped behind the Iki Townspeople to get some air. She found Astin sitting by the trees and she joined him. "Where's Kekoa?"

"Helping his grandma restock her booth."

She nodded at this and leaned her head against his shoulder- she had barely seen him since they had come to Alola and now that he was back in her life, it felt strangely disjointed. Even though they had spent years together and he had been missing for roughly four months, Asalie felt like they were further apart than they had ever been.

"You know..."

She looked at her brother as he spoke up, his expression solemn and sad. "When I saw that hole open up... that's when I..."

His hand clenched tightly, bangs falling over his eyes. "It hurt so much to remember- to face the truth that she did that to me. I let the transformation consume me for all those months, because I couldn't face the truth. Anything was better than facing the reality of our mother experimenting on us, of us..."

"But then I saw you." He looked at Asalie. "I saw you when you were fighting that fish-thing and you falling off- I remembered you through the haze and that kept me anchored. I kept following you however I could, because even through the transformation I..."

He shook his head. "Corny, isn't it? I loved you and that's what kept me from completely losing myself."

Asalie said nothing to this and Kekoa returned a few minutes later. Astin looked torn for a moment but the brunette pushed her brother towards the blond before slipping away from the entire party and heading down Route 1. She reached their house a few minutes later, the moving van just outside it. She opened the door carefully and looked at the now empty house, walking through the rooms and ending with her bedroom.

She remembered looking at her old room in their apartment in Saffron City, her things packed away and wishing she could be anywhere but where she would be going to. Hot and cold anger and despair raced through her veins and her fists clenched tightly, her teeth grinding against each other and just milometers from breaking the skin of her gums. She eventually ran out of the room and into the cold night air, but it did nothing to calm her down.

She turned to run again only to slam right into someone and knock them over. She heard Lillie groan in surprise and she quickly got off the blonde and helped her up. "S-sorry," she got out, out of breath.

"It's all right." Lillie smiled gently as she helped the brunette up, offering her hand. "Join me?"

Asalie took it gratefully and the two girls walked down the route. She felt a little better having the blonde with her and having no more secrets or bad blood between them only made it sweeter. Along with her greeting back at the hospital lobby...

The brunette's lips quivered in a silly grin at the thought, her stomach full of warmth at the only good thing that had come out of-

"Asalie."

She looked at Lillie, the blonde looking towards the town- for a moment, the brunette feared she would ask to return to the party and she doubted she could say no. But Lillie pointed to the Mahalo Trail behind them and said, "Kahuna Hala had the bridge repaired."

Her grip on the blonde's hand tightened.

* * *

Asalie found it a little funny that the Ruins of Conflict was so easy to get to- the Ruins of Life were behind a cemetery, the Ruins of Abundance hidden in that hell-hole Haina Desert and the Ruins of Life were on the toughest and wildest island in Alola.

 _Come to think of it, they're all in places that're oxymorons,_ she thought as they came to the repaired bridge- it looked far more stable than the last time she saw it.

They came to the entrance of the ruins and Asalie remembered the stones that had been in place between the entrance and dais. As she reached for the page rider she remembered wasn't there, the brunette blinked in pleasant surprise at the absence of the stones- under the bridge were yellow banners depicting battle and statues of Pokemon and humans.

When they reached the end, they came inside the same throne room as the previous ruins. The dais was decorated in yellow flowers and thorny vines. The same statue was set on the throne itself- then Tapu Koko materialized.

A moment later, darkness surrounded them all like a void. As Asalie looked at the Guardian Deity, another figure began to overlap with them- Kahuna Konani.

A meadow surrounded by trees with a lake in the middle materialized around them. The ground was littered with corpses of humans and Pokemon alike, all wearing different banners of yellow, pink, red and purple. Only four humans and Pokemon were still standing, albeit covered in blood and wounds.

Kahuna Konani's arms were both limp with one was bent and broken while the other was encased in ice, holding a knife in his mouth by the handle- his Vikivolt twitched erratically, body covered in burns and bruises. Kahuna Kalea was rummaging through her bag even with one of her eyes slashed out and her shoulder and her legs covered in sickly burns- her Pa'u Oricorio hovered over her, feathers broken and bent from bruises and slashes. Kahuna Keanu stared ahead impassively even with arrows sticking from his shoulders and half of his head horrifically skinned off, still clutching his hammers- Lurantis barred their pincers, body shaking from exhaustion and ice burns. Kahuna Kai stood tall even with harsh burns and slash wounds across her back and legs, clutching a solid staff- Toxapex stood steady even with their torn tentacles with a hole through one of them.

Before them was a creature of jet black crystal and eyes of every color the brunette could name, looming above the four kahunas and their Pokemon. It's hide shone in the sun, with nary a dent or imperfection visible. _So that's the creature the book was talking about,_ Asalie realized, shivering at the creature's dead eyes.

The creature raised it's clawed hands, black energy gathering in them. The kahunas and their partners tensed in anticipation.

 _ **"LA-LIONA-A-A-A-A-A!"**_

The creature was smashed to the side and sent flying into the meadow with a crash and sliding until it hit the trees, the impact either uprooting or destroying them. Before it could get it's bearings, a bright blue energy beam smashed into it- it writhed as it tried to block the beam with it's cawed hands before eventually flying away into the horizon to escape. The kahunas and their Pokemon stared dumbstruck at their rescuer, a great golden and white lion with brilliant blue eyes.

"Solgaleo," the brunette whispered in awe.

No sooner had Solgaleo's eyes fallen on the kahunas. They tried to remain defiant only for Kahuna Konani to give a low gurgle before tipping forward and collapsing on the ground, his Vikivolt following. Kahuna Kalea held back the sob in her throat as she tried to reach him only for her body to give out, her Pa'u Oricorio giving one last warble before joining her. Kahuna Keanu and Kahuna Kai tried to hold each other up only to fall together, hands entwined as their Lurantis and Toxapex sucumbed to their own injuries.

Just then, something began to wiggle in Solgaleo's mane before dropping to the ground by the dead kahunas and their Pokemon. "Nebby?" Lillie said softly as the Cosmog poked at Kahuna Konani's shield gauntlet.

Nebby's past form looked at the four kahunas, confusion evident before their expression began to tremble at the sight of their bodies. A few moments later, they began to cry softly. Solgaleo's expression softened at this and lowered their head to nuzzle at the Cosmog. Nebby stopped crying and began to gesture between Solgaleo and the fallen.

The Legendary/Ultra Beast's eyes closed for a moment before they opened again, along with a third, brilliant blue eye that opened up on their forehead. **"LIONA-A-A-A!"** they bellowed and bathed the eight in light.

The light surrounding the kahunas and their Pokemon glowed brighter and Asalie had to avert her eyes, the blurring in her vision becoming more prominent. When it finally died down, the brunette saw the forms of the Guardian Deities and rising from the withered remains of the kahuna's and Pokemon's corpses. When the light faded, they touched the earth and their eyes all flew open.

Asalie remembered the tale that Ewa had spoken of in Malie Garden and stared in wonder as the former kahunas marveled at their new forms. The Cosmog cheered at seeing them and the newly formed Tapus turned to them in surprise before they directed their attention to Solgaleo. But the white and golden lion's gaze rested on Nebby and the Cosmog trilled gently. A moment later, Solgaleo let out another roar that created an Ultra Wormhole and leaped through it.

The scene around them began to faded but everything became black as the forms of Tapu Koko and Kahuna Konani overlapped before them. "I see- that's why Nebby wanted to visit the ruins," Lillie realized before smiling. "Thank you for giving Nebby a home in Alola!"

The Guardian Deity- Kahuna Konani- smiled and gave her a nod of approval. But Asalie found herself feeling rather empty even after having several questions concerning Nebby's origins along with the kahunas and Guardian Deities. When Kahuna Konani's eyes settled on her, she wasn't sure of what to say- not because she lacked the words or motivation, but because there were too many to choose from.

Finally she decided on, "Thank you. For saving me that day- if you hadn't..."

Memories of her travels and experiences were flooding back to her- meeting Lillie, Hau and Pell and learning to take care of the Rowlet, the festival for Tapu Koko, the lessons a the trainer's school, taking pictures for Kaila, her first encounter with Team Skull, learning how to use the ride Pokemon, meeting Gladion and Hapu, the terrifying three days while Ruby recovered from her evolution, her encounter with Plumeria, her visit to Aether and meeting Lusamine, the Malie City festival for Tapu Bulu and her draw with Guzma, Hau's abduction and everything that unfolded after that.

Her hand came up to grasp around her wrist where the Z-Ring sat. "I barely ever used this expect in training. Half of the time, I forgot it existed." She laughed without humor. "And the one time I tried to use it in battle, I didn't know what the pose was."

Tapu Koko simply looked at her. "Yeah, some champion right? This should have gone to someone who could actually use it. I'm not a leader or a fighter or even someone who understands the region you protect-"

Her tirade was cut off when the Guardian Deity shifted before her- Asalie froze for a moment before seeing the warmth and empathy. Her throat felt full and her eyes blurred with hot tears before her fist slammed out against their shield.

 _"Why?!"_ Her voice cracked in frustration and grief as she continued to punch the two shields, Tapu Koko remaining stationary. _"I finally found somewhere I wanted to be, people and Pokemon I trust with my life- and I have leave them all behind! After everything I've done, this is how I'm getting paid back?! After everything I went through, they want to take me away, lock me up like a- like-"_

She slumped to her knees as the tears fell and she sniffled harshly to keep the mucus back. "I don't wanna go. I don't wanna leave Alola," she sobbed, hugging herself tightly- even if it had only been a short time, her time being surveyed by the International Police, being watched like she would attack someone any moment made her feel smaller and more trapped than she had ever felt in her life.

Just thinking of going back to that made her mind reel with panic and despair.

Kahuna Konani leaned down to her and she felt lips against her forehead before looking up. He smiled with all the empathy and compassion in the world and helped her to her feet again. She looked at the Z-Ring and moved to take it off but Kahuna Konani shook his head, his hands overlapping hers.

 _ **"Do not discount your worth,"**_ the words echoed in her mind. _ **"Your story is not yet over.**_

Then the throne room appeared around them again, Tapu Koko no where to be found. Asalie felt Lillie's hand on her shoulder and slumped against the blonde, her strength gone. The two girls walked through the bridge and back outside into the cool night air, where they saw a familiar figure roosting by the bridge.

 **"MAHINA-PI~"**

"Nebby!" Lillie exclaimed as the Lunala flew down to them, scooping Lillie up in their claws so their foreheads met before her hands settled on her hips. "Do I want to know where you've been all this time?"

Asalie blinked in bewilderment at the Legendary/Ultra Beast looking sheepish and ducking their head down as so not to meet the blonde's disapproving gaze. Lillie shook her head at this before saying gently, "I'm just glad you're not hurt after everything in Ultra Space."

 **"PI~"** Nebby trilled before their eyes settled on the brunette.

Asalie didn't know if the texture was feathers or fur as they reached down and nuzzled her torso gently. "Good to see you too," she murmured, running her hand over their head and making them hum. "I guess you've already come here?"

 **"PI- _HA~"_** Nebby looked to the side faux-innocently and Asalie couldn't help the laugh in her throat. "Lillipup-eyes don't suit you one bit," she declared.

"Nebby… All I ever wanted was to help you get back to your own home." Lillie shook her head with a small smile of shame. "Yet instead, you've helped me over and over again."

 **"MAHINA!"** Nebby declared adamantly before nuzzling her.

"Thank you- for being with me."

 **"MAHI."**

Asalie sniffled a bit as she wiped at her face and tried to calm down. The Lunala loomed over her for a moment and murmured softly to her before looking back to the blonde. "Let me guess- you want to keep traveling with us, right?"

 **"PINA~"** The Lunala nodded.

The brunette's bag mood returned full force and she turned away from them as Lillie said, "I feel the same way! We've seen and done so much as we traveled across Alola. We've met many people who've helped us- Professor Kukui and Burnet, Kahuna Hala and Hau… and of course how can we forget our very own Asalie? She's done so much for us all," the blonde murmured fondly.

The pit in her stomach only got worse and her arms hugged tightly around her torso. "There's still so mich out there to see and do," Lillie kept going. "It's like Kahuna Hala told us, that when traveling so many places and meeting so many others, they will enrich your life.

 **"MAHINA-PI~"** Nebby trilled in agreement and Asalie's whole body twitched with the desire to run-

"But not with me."

Asalie blinked at this and turned back, the Lunala looking as confused as she felt. "I'm not a trainer, Nebby," Lillie said, voice gentle but final. "I can't take you on the adventures you want, or give you the fierce battles you want. And you don't want to leave Alola, even if it means going against your family. I know how much that hurts and how frightening that can be."

Asalie straightened at this, knowing her assessment was right on the money. Lillie set her backpack down on the ground and rummaged through it as she said, "So I believe I found a solution that will give the both of you what you want."

She rose back up and took Asalie's hands, placing something round and cool in her hands- her eyes bulged at the Master Ball. "Lillie-!" she whispered in shock. "How did you-?!"

"Professor Kukui asked me to give it to you as a going-away present," the blonde said with a smile. "I think you know what to do with it."

The brunette stared between the most powerful capsule in the world and the Beast that called the Moon before shaking her head. "I can't," she got out. "Not to you- Nebby is-

"It's okay- I know this is what they want," the blonde assured her. "What they want is a journey that won't end- just like you. Together, you'll be able to fulfill each other's wishes." She turned back to them. "Right?"

Asalie looked back at Nebby as they hovered above them before the Lunala smiled broadly at her and did a loop-de-loop in the air. **"MAHINA!"** they trilled.

Her hand shook as she tapped the Master Ball to Nebby's head and brilliant indigo light enveloped the Lunala before their form became smaller and smaller until it fit inside the violet capsule. It shook once, twice, thrice, before clicking quietly. Asalie picked up the Master Ball carefully and released Nebby, who wasted no time in scooping the brunette into their claws and nuzzling her happily.

"I know I haven't been able to do much for you, but I'm still happy I took you that day," Lillie said, eyes shinning with pride. "So, go with with each other and see the world! Have battles against strong Pokemon where you can use your full power and meet trainers who will make your heart dance with the thrill of it all"

She looked to the brunette, eyes full of pride and love for her. "If it's you, Asalie… I know I can trust you to raise my Nebby well. Take good care of them! And Nebby, don't be trying constantly to wriggle out of your poke-ball the way you kept wriggling out of my bag."

"Doubt they even could- this is a masterball after all," Asalie choked out past her tears, smiling despite herself.

"Even still, one can't be too careful. As for you-"

She turned to Nebby, hands on her hips "As for you, you can't forget you're very strong now, so be careful not to hurt anyone accidentally until you get used to your new form." Her lips trembled. "A-and, don't go running off into some other world without letting someone know, o-or you'll make Asalie worry!" Tears slid down her face.

"I'll- I'll do my best- promise," Asalie choked out, the tears sliding down faster as she took her team out.

They all looked concerned- even Ifrit- when they saw her but Asalie wavd them off with a trembling smile. "Change of plans, everyone- we're staying in Alola. Okay?"

Ifrit and Titus were both surprise while Kumonga and Bishop looked more relieved while Pellimore and Ruby's eyes never left their trainer as she took Lillie's hands into her own.

"Tell- tell them- I'm sorry. I just can't go through that again."

Just the thought of being constantly watched like she could snap at any moment, like she was less than human, made her skin crawl. Even if it had been a short time, being kept under surveillance by the officers of the International Police had deeply scared her.

"Tell them- that I'll stay safe- that they're always in my thoughts- that I love-"

She couldn't continue and broke into fresh sobs, Lillie joining her a moment later as the two girls hugged each other tightly. Pellimore wrapped her wings around them, Bishop hovered as close as he could, Ruby pulled them both in tightly and Titus nuzzled against her side while Kumonga stood over them and Ifrit patted the brunette's back. Nebby gave a low, sad noise as their wings surrounded them all in a gentle hug. Eventually, Asalie withdrew and wiped her tears and snot away and Lillie did the same and they rested their foreheads against one another.

"I wish I could go with you."

"I wish I could stay."

The brunette returned her team to their poke-balls and Nebby lowered their back so that she could climb up. Asalie looked back at Lillie for just a moment before the Lunala took to the air, disappearing into the night sky.

* * *

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And BAM! Last chapter of Skies Above Us! But this is by no means the end of the story- it was never meant to be. This will be continued in it's sequel... Acorns from the Sky, based on Ultra Sun and Moon.

I am aware of the story's flaws, especially in drawing out the end as I did. So once I get the chance, I shall rewrite the story- though it won't be exactly the same as you see it here.

Thank you all for reading this story. I've gone years without writing on this site to publishing a full story of nearly fifty chapters in the span of thirteen months and your support and encouragement made that possible for me to keep going.

I will not say good bye, but see you later- for this is far from the end!


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